Avatar: The Last Airbender (Book Two Earth )
by KayleyK1472
Summary: Hey guys this is my second installment in the Avatar series I have been writing. Again I do not own Avatar I only own the names and changes I have made to the story. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: The Avatar State

Odette:

They sky was full of dark gray clouds.  
I was at the Southern Air Temple at a circular platform with the peaks of mountains peaking above the clouds. I ran, paused and looked both ways, then continued running again. I came across a brown curtain and pulled it open, looking at the scene before me with a surprised expression.  
As I entered a room, the ceiling collapsed and a figure resembling myself was sitting at the far end with her back to me.  
I stopped. The figure at the end of the room turned around, revealing herself to be a picture image of me as well. Her eyes and the arrow symbol on her head were glowing blue.  
I was still standing at the entrance to the room and gasped in shock, wondering what was going on. The wind blew violently around the other me. She was surrounded in an orb of wind. Alana and Kole were lying in the foreground, shielding themselves from the wind. I peered curiously at the glowing me, who slammed her hands together. A bright light from her enveloped us. I was hit by the powerful blast of wind and thrown backward into the Fire Temple.  
I screamed as I fell. "Aaahhh!"  
I landed on the floor of the Air Temple with a loud, "Oof!"  
Behind me, I watched as the intricate Fire Temple door opened, revealing the glowing me hovering behind it. Her clothing billowed in the wind she created. I stared in terror at her face - my face - an angry scowl on it. She opened her mouth and fire shot out as she performed a struck with her hand, causing the ground beneath the real me to melt. I fell screaming into the chasm.  
I landed on the deck of a Fire Nation ship. Behind me, I looked up and saw the Water Spirit approaching the ship. I looked at the glowing me in surprise, who was surrounded by blue light. She raised an arm, ready to struck. I watched as the water spirit mimicked the action. The spirit struck the ship. I looked back at me, who once again did the striking motion that she used to break the ground beneath me before…  
…I gasped awake and breathed hard, my heart flying in my chest. I was in a fur hammock beneath the deck of a ship. Four such hammocks, two on each side, were in the room also. I sat on the upper left, with Kole lying asleep in the lower right.  
Terrified and still breathing hard, I jumped down from my hammock, landing on shaky legs. Needing fresh air, I climbed a ladder that led up to the top deck.  
I could hear Kole following me.  
"Odette?" he asked, once we were outside.  
He approached me as I looked out over the ocean, trying to forget what I had seen…what I had done. All those people…  
"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked, placing his hand on mine.  
"Nah. Just a nightmare."  
He gave me a knowing look and I laughed lightly, knowing it was pointless to try and tell him I was fine and nothing is wrong. He knew me too well.  
"I was in the Avatar state, but I was outside my body watching myself. It was scary. I was scary," I said, trembling at the memory.  
Kole pulled me to him and hugged me comfortingly as we looked out over the ocean.  
The next morning, Master Sorren was on the deck of the ship with several other men from the Northern Water Tribe. He reached into a bag and pulled out a triangle-shaped amulet.  
"Odette, I want you to have this," he said in a serious and ceremonial manner.  
The amulet was beautiful, a triangle with a wave-shaped pattern of blue color with a crescent moon on the top.  
"This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis," Sorren explained as he handed the amulet to me. "The water has unique properties. Don't lose it."  
The grumpy master's face softened.  
"Thank you, Master Sorren," I said respectfully.  
He embraced me and then I walked over to Emrys. Kole stepped forward to say his goodbyes and Master Sorren produced an intricately-decorated brown box.  
"Kole, these scrolls will help you teach waterbending," he said. Kole nodded and smiled at him.  
Kole looked up at me and smiled, coming to join me as Alana stepped forward.  
"Alana." Alana looked at him proudly and expectantly. "Take care, girl."  
Sorren patted Alana's arm, giving her nothing. Alana's expression became very dejected and embarrassed.  
Master Sorren turned to all of us once we were all situated on top of Emrys.  
"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here. General Ike will provide you with an escort to Naliwen. There you'll be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi," Sorren said.  
"Emrys, yip yip!" I said, nodding at the master one more time before we rocketed into the air.  
Master Sorren waved goodbye in amusement.  
Kole called back as we flew off. "Say hi to Gran Gran for me!"  
I pulled the reigns and Emrys let out a loud roar of farewell.

Ren:

We were at a bathhouse that stretched over a wide river, blossoming cherry trees adorning the courtyard.  
Uncle was content, as he received a massage from two attendants. I was sitting to the side miserably, a hat concealing my face.  
"Aaahhh... this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" he said and I wanted to roll my eyes.  
He cast a glance at me and walked over to sit beside me on the floor. He knew I was upset and honed in on it like a shirshu.  
"I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?" he said, not a question but a blunt statement that made me twitch in anger.  
I kept my face still hidden under the wide-brimmed hat as I spoke.  
"Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all," I said dejectedly and looked up. "I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."  
"I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Uncle said with exaggerated optimism.  
I didn't want to hear it. I knew my own father well enough. He didn't like to be disappointed, and when he was, he wouldn't hesitate to step on you no matter who you were. I had messed up big time…and now I was paying the price for it…still paying the price.  
I got up and walked away.  
As I walked, I heard Uncle speak negatively to himself. "Erg... that came out wrong, didn't it?"  
Ugh.

Athera:

Two lines of red armor-clad Fire Nation soldiers were stood on the deck, and fell to their rightful place on their knees as the elaborate cabin I was in opened at the edge of the war ship I was on.  
Four servants carried a curtained platform between the lines of soldiers. They stopped at the top of the stairs and pulled apart the curtains, revealing me to my pitiful subjects. I stepped out and examined my soldiers.  
I raised a hand, then looked at the two rows. They rose and I began to walk between them, loving the fear I brought to their faces. They way the trembled in my presence made me giddy…and I wanted more.  
"My brother and my uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord and brought shame on all of us. You may have mixed feelings about attacking members of the royal family; I understand. But I assure you, if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Dismissed," I growled coldly, venom dripping from every word like a deadly poison that intimidated them even more.  
The troops quickly ran off to the left, and a lone soldier approached me.  
This ought to be good.  
"Princess, I'm afraid the tides will not allow us to bring the ship in to port before nightfall," he said respectfully, his voice quivering.  
Oh really? Was I no longer in command? Was it the seas who controlled him and bent him against his will? Well, not for long.  
I turned and walked to the left as I spoke.  
"I'm sorry, Captain, but I do not know much about the tides. Can you explain something to me?" I asked innocently.  
I saw him gulp out of the corner of my eye.  
"Of course, Your Highness," he said.  
"Do the tides command this ship?"  
The foolish captain was confused. "Uh... I'm afraid I do not understand."  
"You said the tides would not allow us to bring the ship in. Do the tides command this ship?" I repeated condescendingly.  
The captain looked over at me nervously. "No, Princess."  
I smiled cruelly and looked out over the ocean.  
"And if I were to have you thrown overboard, would the tides think twice about smashing you against the rocky shore?"  
The captain gulped again and closed his eyes.  
"No, Princess," he answered nervously.  
I pushed a strand of hair from my face, then turned around while speaking. "Well, then, maybe you should worry less about the tides who've already made up their mind about killing you and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over."  
"I'll pull us in," he said quickly. The captain bowed respectfully and ran off toward the cabin. I glared at him as he left.

Odette:

Alana leaned on the edge of Emry's saddle as we flew, looking bored. She suddenly stood up, looking excited and grinning like a goofball.  
Curious about whatever had gotten her so excited, I looked over Emrys dragon head at the mountainous landscape. A circular, walled tower came into view.  
Oh.  
"There it is!" Alana said, practically bouncing in her seat. I was glad to see her smile…she had been so sad lately after Sin's death. She'd stare up at the moon almost every night crying herself to sleep.  
Emrys flew down toward the walled tower and landed gracefully inside. A bearded man in a green cap and brown and green armor stepped forward.  
This must have been General Ike.  
"Welcome, Avatar Odette!" he welcomed us graciously.  
Alana stretched as Kole brought our supplies down from Emrys, and I rubbed my soar behind. I had literally been sat in the same exact spot since we left the North Pole.  
We stopped and looked up at the General Ike, who bowed along with numerous soldiers behind him, then spread her arms in greeting.  
"I am General Ike. And welcome to all of you, great heroes!" he announced. "Emrys, Fang, brave Alana, the mighty Kole."  
"'Mighty Kole'? I like that," Kole said, smiling n amusement.  
Fireworks exploded behind us, and we turned to look at them. A group of four Earthbenders stepped forward, lifted small, green orbs from the ground and launched them into the air with their fists. Kole, Alana, and I looked on, amazed.  
Alana nodded her approval. "Not bad, not bad."

Kole:

We were quickly led into the inside of the base of the tower. The room was large, with green-lit columns on each side of a central walkway. A desk was at the far end, with a large banner showing a green circle and a brown square inside of it hanging from the ceiling. Odette, Alana, and I sat in the center of the room on a mat, with Ike at the desk.  
"Avatar Odette, we were all amazed at the stories of how you single-handedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole," he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility."  
"I try not to think about it too much," Odette replied humbly.  
Ike leaned forward and smiled happily. "Avatar... you're ready to face the Fire Lord now."  
I froze, my mind going into a whirl. My head snapped to the side to look at Odette. At first she seemed content, but her expression quickly changed to one of surprised disbelief.  
"What?! No I'm not!" she exclaimed, alarmed.  
"Odette still needs to master all four elements," I explained, s equally shocked.  
"Why?" Ike said and became worked up as he spoke and rose from his desk. "With the kind of power she possesses—power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes—she could defeat the Fire Lord now!"  
Alana rose her hand somewhat timidly.  
"But, sir, the thing is Odette can only do those things when she's in the Avatar state," she said.  
"See, it's this special state where—" Odette tried to explained but he cut her off.  
"I'm well aware," he interrupted heatedly. He continued more gently. "Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power."  
He walked around his desk and to a map of the world. "Without you we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores. But with you leading the way as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation."  
He pointed at the map, drawing a line with his finger from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation.  
Odette looked concerned and frightened.  
Odette spoke with uncertainty. "Right... but I'm don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar state, much less what to do once I'm there."  
Ike turned around and faced us.  
"So it's decided then. I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar state, and then you'll face your destiny," he said.  
We all stood up at once. I didn't care what he thought, there was no way Odette was ready for this, She would die before she even reached the Fire Lord. Alana and Odette looked surprised while I was just angry.  
"No, nothing's decided. We already have a plan. Odette's pursuing her destiny her way," I snapped, irritated.  
Ike was once more at his desk.  
"Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war went on. May I show you something?" he said.  
Ike and Odette walked over to a circular window overlooking two orange-roofed buildings. A large crowd was standing outside one.  
"That's the infirmary, and those soldiers are the lucky ones." I looked down at the injured soldiers walking toward the infirmary. "They came back."  
Odette looked down sadly and I felt my anger spike. "Every day the Fire Nation took lives. People are dying, Odette! You could end it, now! Think about it."  
That was a low blow. Odette's Achilles Heel was her compassion and using the war victims against her was a dirty trick.  
And I knew she was going to fall for it.

Athera:

I was on my battle ship, running through my lightning bending practice. The sun was setting in the background.  
I stood on the deck and brought my arms down in front of me. Two old women - my advisors - watched from the top of the stairs. I swung an arm around, electricity sparking from my left hand. I brought it around in a circle, then began to mimic the motion with my right hand, electricity shooting from my index and middle fingers. I brought my fingers together, and then lunged forward, launching a lightning bolt from my left hand. The lightning arced over the edge of the ship.  
My fingers were smoking and a single strand of hair dangled in front of my face. The old women on the stairs spoke up.  
"Almost perfect," one said.  
"One hair out of place," the other seconded.  
Furious, I glared angrily at the one strand of hair. I wiped it bitterly away from my eyes, feeling like strangling someone.  
"'Almost' isn't good enough!" I hissed.  
I began the training again and shoot lightning in every direction.

Odette:

It was nightfall and we were still at the Earth Kingdom base. General Ike was looking down at a map on his desk.  
"General Ike?" I asked.  
Ike looked up, smiling.  
"Come in, Odette. Have you thought about our discussion?" he asked warmly, all smiled now.  
This guy was out of his mind…but he was right.  
I looked down in uncertainty, knowing I was going to get myself into a lot of trouble. "I'm in." I then looked up with determination. "I'll fight the Fire Lord."  
After I gave him my answer, he tried to shower me with praises but I ignored him and simply walked away and back to our room. I entered the dimly-lit room, walking across the floor as Kole rose from his bed, Fang sat on his lap.  
I sat down on my bed with a sigh.  
"I told the general I'd help him... by going into the Avatar state," I told him, knowing he would not be happy about it.  
I was right.  
"Odette, no. This was not the right way," Kole said, his voice firm.  
Alana, who was lounging with her arms behind her head, decided to speak up. "Why not? Remember when she took out the Fire Navy? She was incredible."  
Kole ignored her. "There's a right way to do this. Practice, study, and discipline."  
Alana spoke louder, glaring at her brother. "Or just glow it up and stop that Fire Lord."  
Kole rose from his bed and approached Alana and I.  
"If you two meatheads want to throw away everything we've worked for, fine. Go ahead and glow it up!" he snapped angrily and I winced.  
He left and I rose and started after him.  
"Kole, I'm just being realistic. I don't have time to do this the right way," I pleaded as he walked away. I looked away, sad and almost ashamed.  
I returned to the base during the next day. Ike led me to a cliff side away from the base with a small open-air building on top. There was a table with a steaming teapot while a teacher talked, dropping something into the teapot with chopsticks.  
"This rare chi-enhancing tea was a natural stimulant. In an ordinary warrior it improves strength and energy ten-fold. In you, it may induce the Avatar state," he said to me.  
The teacher poured the tea into a cup in front of me.  
I was sitting at the small table across from him and next to Ike. Alana and Kole sat side-by-side a few feet behind me, Kole extremely unhappy.  
"Ten-fold energy, huh?" I took it and slurped it down; the taste made my face twitch at least three times.  
I don't really remember what happened after that.  
I began to race around the small structure on my air ball while the others remained motionless.  
I was speaking in a fast, high-pitched, hyper voice while zipping everywhere on my air-scooter. "was it working, was it working? I can't tell! Somebody tell me if I'm in the Avatar state 'cause I don't have a good view of myself! Am I talking too loud?"  
Alana looked bored with my mindless chatter. "I guess she could talk the Fire Lord to death."  
Just then I collided with a column, my air ball disappeared and my shawl fell over my head, knocking me out cold.  
When I came to and my head stopped spinning, I was let outside at the entrance gate to the base. Kole and sat on the ground while Ike stood behind us, stroking his beard as usual. Alana was in front of us, her arms folded behind her back.  
"Maybe I can shock you into the Avatar state," she said.  
"I love surprise," I said cheerfully.  
Kole shook his head and covered my eyes with his hands. When he removed them, Fang's head had replaced Alana's.  
"Raahh!" Fang howled and I lurched backward in fright.  
"Aaahhh!" I looked at my hands and held them up. "Still not glowing."  
Alana lost her balance and yelled while Fang chattered and they both toppled over. General Ike just shook his head.  
We moved on into the inside of a temple. I stood in the center wearing a ridiculous hat with leaves coming out of the top and a blue cape. Ike, Alana, and Kole stood before me. A priest was in the distance near a stairway.  
A priest spoke to me pretentiously. "You are wearing a ceremonial piece of clothing from each of the bending nations. Now I will join the four elements into one!" As he mentioned each element, he threw a pan of water, dirt, a torch, and blew air into a mixture. "Water, earth, fire, air! Four elements together as one!"  
He suddenly threw the mixture all over me. The mixture splattered over me, covering me in mud.  
"This was just mud!" I said, wrinkling my nose.  
The priest gave me an odd look. "So... do you feel anything?"  
My nose began to twitch and I lifted up a finger. Ike, Alana, and Kole all looked hopeful.  
My nose itched like crazy and I sneezed. "Aaaaachoooo!"  
I smiled sheepishly at the others as they got sprayed by mud from my sneeze. Ike wiped his face.  
General Ike remained determined. "We have to find a way."

Ren:

Uncle emptied a bag of seashells on a table. We were still at the bathhouse, wasting time as usual.  
Uncle lifted a few shells into his hand, inspecting them.  
"Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come," he said.  
"We don't need anymore useless things. You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now," I said.  
Suddenly a dark, nasty, evil voice that made my skin crawl spoke from the corner of the room. "Hello, brother. Uncle."  
I turned to see my baby sister, Athera at a table behind us, her hand on a seashell. Athera and I looked a lot alike, except she looked more like out father and I looked more like our mother. She had a beautiful heart-shaped face and perfectly shaped lips that were always curled into a calculating smile. She had dark brown hair like me that remained in an elegant but practical bun at the nape of her neck with the sides of her bangs hanging down, framing her face. Her eyes were shaped like a cats and golden brown and her skin was pale as the moon. Her hands were slim and her fingers slender and graceful looking, each one ending with a perfectly manicured, clawed, blood red nail. She was medium height, coming up to about my shoulder and was eighteen - a year younger than me.  
Uncle and I looked at her in surprised, and then anger. Whatever my sister was here for it was not good. I'd known ever since we were kids that where ever she went, trouble was soon too follow.  
I stepped forward threateningly.  
"What are you doing here?" I said accusingly.  
She seemed utterly unaffected by our glares as she toyed with the seashell in her hand.  
"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions," she said arrogantly. She got up and walked over to face me. "Have you become uncivilized so soon, RenRen?"  
"Don't call me that!" I yelled furiously.  
Uncle tried to calm down the growing tension before we did something stupid.  
"To what do we owe this honor?" he asked, working to keep his voice calm.  
"Hmm... must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point." She shattered one of Uncle's shells with her sharp nails on this last word and his face darkened. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family was suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him—treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust."  
Her voice and face softened. "Father regrets your banishment. He wanted you home."  
I was stunned…frozen in shock.  
I looked out the window in complete disbelief.  
"Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful," she said when I didn't respond, her pleasant expression sweet and kind…something very unusual when it came to her. "I just gave you great news."  
"I'm sure your brother just needs a moment to—"  
"Don't interrupt, Uncle!" Athera snapped at him angrily. She sighed, collecting herself and turned to address me, walking up so she was beside me.  
"I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way," she said, her usual malice slinking back into her tone.  
"Father regrets? He... wanted me back?" I murmured with shocked and quiet disbelief.  
"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening." Athera walked out of the room without another word.

Odette:

I was evening and Kole and I were alone, stood outside on the wall overlooking the city.  
"Can we talk about something?" he asked. It had been pretty quiet between us for most of the day and I hoped it wasn't because he was still mad at me.  
"Sure," I said, turning to him cautiously.  
"Do you remember when we were at the air temple and you found Monk Athos' skeleton? It must have been so horrible and traumatic for you. I saw you get so upset that you weren't even you anymore. I'm not saying the Avatar state doesn't have incredible—and helpful power. But you have to understand, for the people who love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain was really scary," he said, searching my face, pleading with his eyes for me to understand.  
I sighed, knowing I couldn't back out of this one. "I'm really glad you told me that. But I still need to do this."  
Kole frowned, his eyes darkening. "I don't understand."  
"No, you don't. Every day more and more people die. I'm already a hundred years late. Defeating the Fire Lord was the only way to stop this war. I have to try it," I said.  
"I can't watch you do this to yourself. I'm not coming tomorrow," he said quietly. He began to walk off, but paused. "Goodnight."  
"Goodnight," I said sadly, wishing I could make him understand.

Ren:

I was still in shock as I began packing my things. I was so excited I could hardly believe it. I could go home, without having to chase the Avatar down…I could finally go back to where I belonged.  
"We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable," I said to my Uncle happily. I walked behind him, carrying some folded clothing.  
"It was unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything," he said skeptically.  
"Did you listen to Athera? Father's realized how important family was to him. He cares about me," I said, at first surprised and the growing more forceful.  
"I care about you. And if Mordred wanted you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."  
Defensively I turned my back to Uncle.  
"You don't know how my father feels about me." I stiffened in anger. "You don't know anything."  
"Ren, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem," he said gently.  
I whirled around angrily and faced Uncle, leaning in as I accused him.  
"I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother," I growled nastily.  
I turned and walked away.

Odette:

I was at a river with icy cliffs on both banks. I was having another nightmare like the one before, where I watched myself outside of my own body.  
I watched as I - glowing in the Avatar State - exploded from the river in a tall column of swirling water. The other me soured through the sky, then turned down toward a Fire Nation ship with the real me stood on the deck. The glowing me landed on the deck and swung her vortex of water like a whip at me.  
As the water vortex knocked me overboard I screamed in terror. "Aaahhh!"  
I landed on a hard stone floor.  
The glowing version of me stood in front of me, with Ren looking at her. The glowing me turned around, and Ren briefly assumed a defensive stance before turning and running. Me, no longer glowing, launched a water attack at him as I watched in horror.  
"No!" I gasped and started awake in bed.  
Okay, that was it.  
I turned over toward Alana.  
"Alana. Alana, wake up," I said softly.  
"Wha...?" she asked groggily.  
I sat up, weary. "I don't think we should be trying to bring on the Avatar state."  
Alana looked over, her hair a rats nest around her face.  
"You sure?" she said, surprised.  
Thinking of what my dream self had done to Ren I nodded vigorously. "Yes."  
Alana shrugged, accepting. "Okay."  
"Do you think the general will be mad?" I asked, a little apprehensive.  
"What can he say? You're the Avatar. Who knows better than you?" she said and rolled over.  
I looked away, then lied back down, folding my arms behind my head.  
I hoped so.

Ren:

I was descending the stairway outside of the bathhouse as quick as I could. I had a bag with my few measly personal belongings thrown over my shoulder. Though I wanted nothing more than to go home…it just didn't feel right without Uncle.  
I paused for a moment and looked down at the Fire Nation ship in the bay below, then turned to continue on.  
"Wait!" I heard my uncle calling urgently. I spun to see Uncle descending and waving behind me. "Don't leave without me!"  
He was coming?  
"Uncle! You've changed your mind!" I said, happily surprised.  
"Family sticks together, right?" he said as he put a hand on my shoulder.  
I smiled happily, feeling like everything is finally falling into place for me.  
"We're finally going home," I said as we both looked down at the ship below.  
I continued on, happier than I had ever been before.

Odette:

The next morning, I returned to the Earth Kingdom base. I stood in front of Ike's desk, hoping that he wouldn't freak out when I told him I was out.  
"The thing is, I don't think we'll ever be able to trigger it on purpose. So, I guess that's it," I said, shrugging.  
"Sure I can't change your mind?" he asked, sounding disappointed when speaking.  
I looked down sadly. "I'm sure. I can only reach the Avatar state when I'm in genuine danger.  
Ike looked away. "I see. I was afraid you'd say that."  
Ike stepped back in a sudden movement, causing a small shock wave. He pushed forward, sending her desk flying at me. My eyes flew wide in surprise as the desk rammed into me.  
"Ugh!" I cried out as it crashed right into my stomach, flinging me over the side of it.  
The desk rocketed toward a window, taking me with it. Alana tried to go after me, but was restrained by two guards.  
"Odette!" she cried as the desk crashed through the wall. Both the desk and I fell toward the ground and I screamed as I felt myself falling.  
Using my airbender abilities, I slowed my fall with a gust of air. I tumbled forward and the desk crashed and broke apart behind me. Ike ran to the destroyed wall and pointed angrily at me.  
"Men! Attack the Avatar!" he commanded.  
My eyes widened in alarm as four groups of three guards closed in around me. I looked up in surprise, wondering what this general was playing at. Ike leaped down from the tower and landed in front of me, sending a wave of moving earth toward me. I leaped agilely over the wave.  
"What are you doing?" I snapped.  
"I believe we are about to get results," he said, looking at me with sinister eyes.  
The six Earthbenders on either side of me lifted circular discs of earth with square holes in the middle around themselves, then hurled them at me. The first two rolled toward me from both sides, and I stepped backward, avoiding them. I leaped into the air and spread my body horizontally as two discs flew above and below me. I soured through the air for a moment and then landed and peered over my shoulder. Other Earthbenders stood ready with more discs behind me.  
"I am not your enemy! I won't fight you!" I yelled at them.  
Four discs were launched at me, and I leaped over them as they collided right where I was standing. I landed on one of the upright discs, and another flew from the left and knocked it over. As I fell, two of the other upright discs closed in around me. Thinking fast, I scrunched myself into the square holes in the discs as they began to roll. The discs rolled into an Earthbender, who shattered them.  
I went flying and skidded along the ground. I stood up, surveying the troops around me.  
I looked up and saw Alana running to the broken wall that I fell out of and looked down.  
Just then four Earthbenders surrounded me, throwing their stone discs. Two collided horizontally and I leaped over them. The other two tried to smash me between them, and I leaped through the hole in the middle of the one on the right.  
I zoomed off on my ball of air while three Earthbenders tried to raise walls of earth to stop me. I zigzagged between them and shot past two spear-wielding guards on ostrich-like creatures. They began to chase after me. I started up the wall of the base with the creatures in pursuit. I began to tire out toward the top, my ball of wind disappearing and I just stared running. The creatures closed in and I barely missed their spears and began to fall.  
I hit the ground and tumbled forward, the creatures jumping down behind me. I stumbled forward onto one of the disc-shaped portions of the floor. Ike lifted it up with his Earthbending skills, trapping me in the center hold and bringing me to him.  
"You can't run forever!" he shouted.  
"You can't fight forever!" I shot back.  
Ike leaped forward, smashing the ring with his foot and I leaped away.

Ren:

When we reached Athera's ship, a group of Fire Nation soldiers formed two ranks along the path leading to the ship.  
Uncle and I walked toward them, my heart hammering in my chest. Athera was standing at the top of the stairs leading onto her ship, a soldier on each side.  
I was completely content and at ease, but Uncle kept eyeing the guards suspiciously, ever the paranoid one. Athera raised her arms in greeting and bowed to us.  
"Brother! Uncle!" she said warmly as we both bowed. Uncle opened one eye slightly, watching the soldiers beside him. "Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come."  
The two files of soldiers closed in behind Uncle and I.  
"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" the captain asked.  
"Set our course for home, Captain," she replied pleasantly.  
Huh, maybe she wasn't the obnoxious psycho monster she used to be.  
"Home…" I said wistfully.  
Uncle and I began to climb the stairs onto the ship, the captain leading the way.  
He turned to his men. "You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho—"  
He stopped abruptly, realizing his mistake  
I looked up in surprise at Athera who looked enraged.  
"Your Highness... I…" the captain stuttered, mortified.  
That's when I realized it. I wasn't going home. My father hadn't forgiven me. He still wanted me to get the Avatar before I was welcomed back.  
My eyes widened. Uncle looked to his left, then spun around, backhanding a guard off of the ship and kicking another down the incline. Another guard approached from his left. He elbowed him off the incline. He punched another that approached from his right and grabbed another, spinning him around and tossing him.  
My momentary shock and hurt dissipated, leaving nothing but white hot rage in it's place. I grabbed one guard, throwing him off the incline and into the water. I stalked up the incline, furious.  
"You lied to me!" I yelled furiously at my sister.  
Athera looked at me with nothing but confidence.  
"Like I've never done that before," she said smugly.  
She turned and walked away, and two guards launched fire at me. I brushed the fire aside and charged forward, screaming in rage.

Odette:

"Aaahhh!" I screamed as I ran away. Four discs fell from the sky and I turned and began to run to the left, with a disc rolling after me.  
I glanced over and I saw both Kole and Alana running down the stairs. They met at the bottom.  
"What's going on?" Kole yelled as he looked at me sprinting for my life.  
"The general's gone crazy. He's trying to force Odette into the Avatar state!"  
Alana and Kole watched as I ran between two groups of soldiers. Alana pulled out her boomerang and tossed it. Right as he was about to throw his disc at me, the boomerang hit his helmet and knocked him out cold. His disc fell over.  
As soon as I was out of the clear with that one, I ran from one of the birdlike creatures who started coming after me. Something shot by and I suddenly realized that his spear had been cut in half. Kole has sliced the spear with a stream of water.  
Alana was approaching one of the birdlike creatures, its rider unconscious on the ground. She had her arms lifted in the air as she slowly approached.  
"Good bird/horse thingy," she said nervously, trying to coax the beast.  
She grabbed the reins and leaped on the back of the creature. It took off running.  
Kole remained stationary as Ike had his men line up a group of discs around him. I climbed the stairway of the tower behind me and tossed a look over my shoulder, hoping to catch Ike's attention.  
Ike smirked at me. "Maybe you can avoid me, but he can't."  
The Earthbenders used their discs to create a v-shaped wall, made sure that the only means of escape were by General Ike. Kole threw his stream of water at Ike, but he raised a patch of dirt, creating a patch of mud. He took up a fighting stance as Kole spun around and began to sink into the ground. He was up to his knees in dirt. He struggled to escape but didn't budge.  
"Aaahhh!" he grunted, straining against the earth. "I can't move!"  
"Don't hurt him!" I yelled, enraged.  
I leaped down from the staircase and shot a stream of air at Ike. Ike looked surprised but quickly raised a wall of earth to protect his self. He lowered the wall then turned back to Kole, who sank deeper into the ground.  
"Aaahhh!" Kole cried in alarm.  
Alana rode out from behind one of the discs on her birdlike creature and charged toward Ike.  
"Kole! No!" she yelled, preparing to attack.  
Ike sank the bird creature's legs into the dirt and Alana got tossed from her ostrich, landing in the hole of one of the discs. "Waaaahhh! Oof!"  
I ran to Ike, grabbing his arm desperately.  
"Stop this! You have to let him go."  
Ike looked down at me angrily.  
"You could save him if you were in the Avatar state," he said maliciously.  
I was so frustrated and desperate tears began to form in my eyes.  
"I'm trying... I'm trying!" I snapped, begging for my Avatar spirit to take control of me.  
Kole continued to sink further into the ground. He was now up to his armpits.  
"Odette, I'm sinking!" he yelled to me, desperately trying to get away.  
"I don't see glowing," Ike said, his tone sounding mocking.  
Ike pushed his fist toward the ground, and Kole sank further, only his head remaining above ground.  
"Aaahhh! Please!" he gasped, terrified.  
I dropped to the ground at Ike's feet, still clutching his hand.  
"You don't need to do this!" I cried, hysterical.  
General Ike glared at me. "apparently I do."  
He clenched his fist and Kole disappeared totally into the ground. I dove for him, just barely missing his hands. Overcome with rage, hate, and malice in my heart, I felt my marks begin to glow as I was filled with intense power, and I turned around.  
The Avatar State had been activated.  
I glared angrily at Ike as I rose.  
Ike lifted his fist into the air in victory.  
"It worked. It worked!" he exulted.  
A strong blast of wind hit Ike, and he shielded himself with his arms. I was standing in front of him, wind billowing around me and lashing my hair in all directions. Ike smiled but the grin quickly faded as he became terrified.  
Good.  
I launched a karate chop-like attack at him and he went flying backward. He landed at the base of the tower.  
Furious, I lifted myself up in a vortex of dirt.

Ren:

I leaped onto Athera's ship, knocking two guards on either side out of the way with flames shooting from my arm and leg.  
I took up a fighting stance at the left while Athera remained motionless, her back to me. Charging forward, I brought my arms down, fire daggers in my fists but she spun and blocked me.  
Uncle was still fighting soldiers on the path leading to the ship so I knew he would be no help to me.  
"Ren! Let's go!" he yelled but I ignored him. This time, Athera had gone too far. And now…now she was going to pay.  
I swung my fire daggers at her ferociously, repeatedly, but she simply avoided them. She grabbed my arm and spun me around. I was breathing hard, my anger made me sloppy.  
"You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?" she said, a nasty smug grin on her face.  
I brought out my fire daggers again and leaped at Athera, throwing a flaming kick at her head. She leaped back, nimbly dodging my blew. She swiped at my face with her fingernails and I staggered back, feeling the three stinging cuts on my forehead. I charged forward and screamed, swiping my daggers at Athera again. She blocked my blew effortlessly and the fight continued up the stairs toward the cabin of the ship.  
She found and opening and kicked me, knocking me down the stairs a bit. I recovered quickly and charged back toward Athera.  
She blocked my fist and grabbed my arm, bringing it down harmlessly. She glared at me, and my eyes widened in alarm. She tossed a blue flame at my head, sending me tumbling down the incline. I landed with a thud and pulled myself up, looking back at the incline. My vision was blurry and shaky as I tried to locate Athera.  
She was standing at the top of the incline and began to swing her arms in arcs around, lightning arcing around her. She aimed her fingers at me and a lightning bolt shot toward me.  
Uncle suddenly appeared and grabbed Athera's fingers in his hand. He channels the electricity through his body and shot it from his other hand, letting it explode harmlessly into the cliffside. He turned back to Athera and kicked her, sending her flying overboard. She splashed into the water.  
Not wasting a second, Uncle and I took off running down the path from the ship.

Odette:

I swirled in my vortex of dust with General Ike in frond of me. He cupped his hands and shouted at me.  
"Avatar Odette, can you hear me?! Your friend was safe!" He raised his arms and Kole emerged from the ground, gasping. "It was just a trick to trigger the Avatar state, AND IT WORKED!"  
I didn't listen to him. Even though Kole was okay, he'd still threatened my friend. I whirled around, angry.  
The vortex suddenly collapsed and I slammed into the ground, a cloud of dust shooting forward. Ike was sent flying. Large chunks of earth rose from the ground, sending Earth Kingdom soldiers into the air. The wave of destruction crashed into the buildings around the base, cracking them apart.  
I was hovering still and I felt my body suddenly go cold and I froze. I began to turn blue and this strange spirit of myself left my glowing body and rose into the sky.  
Up in the air, I overlooked the wrecked base. I realized I was with Koren.  
We flew by quickly on Koren's dragon and he looked back at me.  
"It's time you learned," he said and I became even more confused than I already was.  
The dragon flew off into golden clouds. There were figures stood on them as we flew by and I recognized them as Avatars.  
"The Avatar state was a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars," Koren explained.  
He gave me a vision of a female Avatar in a green robe and mask, held fans. Her eyes glowed briefly and she took up a fighting stance.  
"The glow was the combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy through your body."  
I saw a male Avatar on the end of a ship. He was wearing a blue coat and a white hat, presumably made of animal skin. His eyes blinked, causing a huge tidal wave behind the ship.  
I then saw another female Avatar, whose eyes blinked with the glow. She shoved her hands forward and strong winds blew the yellow grass and trees around her in the distance.  
"In the avatar state you are at your most powerful," he said and I saw a male Avatar in red armor. He lifted his arms and four volcanoes erupted behind him.  
My vision returned to normal and Koren looked at me seriously. "But you are also at your most vulnerable."  
"What do you mean?" I asked.  
Koren and the Avatars suddenly vanished. They appeared in a single-file line, all their eyes glowing.  
"If you are killed in the Avatar state, the reincarnation cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist," he said.  
The Avatars vanished, ending with Koren, who faded away.  
I looked away sadly, feeling the weight of this new responsibility settle down on me. The dragon spiraled down toward the Earth Kingdom base.  
It crashed into my body and disappeared, as did the sphere of wind. Warmth returned and my body went limp, and I fell to the ground, no longer posses by the Avatar Spirit.  
I glanced at the ruins of the base around me.  
Kole ran toward me worriedly. I was sitting on the ground with my arms on my knees, guilt sweeping through me. He ran up beside me and we embraced tightly.  
"I'm sorry, Kole. I hope you never have to see me like that again," said, tired and remorseful.  
We both looked up as Ike began to speak.  
He walked forward, spreading his arms. "Hah! Are you joking? That was almost perfect! We just have to find a way to control you when you're like that."  
I glared up at him and Kole looked like he would have socked him if he hadn't been held onto me.  
"You're out of your mind," I snapped.  
General Ike ignored me. "I guess we'll figure that out on the way to the Fire Nation."  
Alana rode up behind him on the birdlike creature, held her boomerang. She bonked Ike on the head and knocked him out cold.  
"Anybody got a problem with that?" she snapped, glaring at the soldiers and they all shook their heads in unison.  
Alana dismounted from the creature as the soldiers approached us and bowed.  
"Do you still want an escort to Naliwen?" one of them men asked.  
Kole glared at him. "I think we're all set."  
We all got onto Emrys and took off, leaving the horrible place behind us.

Athera:

My brother would pay for thinking he could defy me. He may have been older, but he was weaker and I would annihilate him. We had searched the bathhouse and the woods around it but they were long gone. No matter though, I would find them in time.  
My father had send me on a mission to have them either both imprisoned or killed. After this little turn of events, I was going to opt for the latter option.  
I held up a poster with pictures of Uncle and Ren and some writing and spoke to the crowd of people who had gathered before me.  
"Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord," I called out loudly.  
The group of citizens looked up at me from below. Civilians cowered in fear, just the way they should.  
My face twisted in anger as I thought of those two traitors.  
"There will be no place left to hide," I said menacingly.

Ren:

Uncle and I dumped out stuff somewhere in the woods. Now that we were on the run, we couldn't afford to be slowed down with household items.  
We had been running down a path for almost half an hour, needing to put distance between us and Athera. Exhausted, we paused at a small body of water at the side of the river and collapsed onto our knees.  
"I think we're safe here," Uncle panted.  
I took in deep breaths and nodded in agreement.  
I knew Athera enough to know that she had probably already sent out warrants for our arrest. We would have no place to go to now unless we were in disguise.  
Knowing what had to be done, I brought out a knife with some writing on the blade. I stared at it for a moment, not liking what I was about to do.  
Uncle nodded solemnly and turned to me.  
I took the knife and brought it behind my head and... cut off my pony tail.  
For me, I saw cutting my hair as a symbol of something. When a warrior cut off his ponytail, it stood as an act of severance from the Fire Nation-the very regime that had enslaved me my whole life-and from my family, which, aside from Mother and Uncle, was what corrupted me in the first place. It stood as an act of letting go, of saying, "Enough is enough! I'm done with this!"  
I passes the knife to Uncle, who did the same.  
Sadly, my hand released the pony tail, letting it fall into the water and Uncle followed.  
As our hair floated down the river, we looked into the distance, wondering what our next move was.


	2. Chapter 2: The Cave of Two Lovers

Kole:

We stopped for a rest near some cliffs that were covered in vegetation, thinking it was a good time to rest and practice some waterbending. The cliffs had been cut by a river that ran at its bottom, spraying refreshing mist out everywhere.  
Odette and I were stood in the shallow part of the river, facing each other like gunslingers in front of a natural arch of stone that protruded from the cliff wall. Alana was riding lazily in a boat made of an enormous leaf.  
"You guys are gonna be done soon, right?" she asked, board.  
Alana was floating by in a makeshift two piece bathing suit. Her hair was no longer in a pony tail and now lied tangled in a wet mass on her head. I too had dispensed with my normal blue garb and was naked from the waist up. Odette was wearing the equivalent of a white two piece bathing suit. She was in a bending stance as she faced me across from her.  
"We've got a lot of ground to cover if we wanna make it to Naliwen today," my sister snapped.  
I dropped my bending stance and slumped over at Alana's statement, then turned to face her with an arched eyebrow as I replied.  
"What, like you're ready to go right now, naked girl?" I asked teasingly.  
"I can be ready in two minutes. Seriously." She lifted her hair to look at us and let her arm drop lazily back into the water. "Whenever."  
Odette shook her head and turned back to me. "So, you were showing me the octopus form."  
"Right. Let me see your stance." I evaluated Odette's form and came over to correct it - mostly using it just as excuse to touch her. "Your arms are too far apart. See, if you move them closer together you protect your center. You got it?"  
Odette blushed, slightly flustered and I smiled in amusement. She knew what I was up to. "Oh... yeah. Thanks."  
I dropped my hold on her and walked back to my former position. I turned around to face her once again in a bending stance.  
"Okay, let's see what you got," I said.  
Odette smiled determinedly and raised some water from the river. With a smooth motion she caused the blob to sprout about a dozen, wide tentacles. I then began to rapidly fire icicles at her. The first one was grabbed and deflected in mid air by one of Odette's water tentacles. After several more were deflected, I shifted so my legs were wide apart. I raised, froze, and shot ice projectiles at Odette.  
She dodged my icicles and then used one of her water tentacles to lash at me. I was slightly surprised as Odette's water tentacle grabbed my leg and yanked tight. Then I straightened, placed my hands on my hips and smiled as I addressed her.  
"You make a fine octopus, Pupil Odette," I said, nodding in approval.  
While I was speaking, she encased herself in the bubble of water, her arms and, consequently, her tentacles waving lazily around her. She was clearly having fun imitating an octopus.  
Alana was still lying in her leaf boat, Fang draped across her. Fang raised his head, his ears pricked as music and singing suddenly sounded, drawing closer.  
We all looked towards the beach from where the sounds were coming from. From the path within the forest that led to the beach, a group of travelers dressed in colorful mix of different styles walked by playing instruments and singing. The one carrying a guitar-like instrument and wearing a wreath of flowers began to sing softly.  
"Don't fall in love with a traveling girl. She'll leave you broke and broken hearted…"  
The woman on the guitar guys left wore black and pink, had big hair adorned with a single flower and played a flute. A rotund fellow behind the man wore a white and pink robe, a coolie hat and played a drum.  
Suddenly, Alana's leaf boat capsized and she yelled as she fell into the water. The singers stopped as they finally noticed us watching them.  
The man with the guitar smiled and pointed briefly at us. "Heh-hey! River people!"  
I gestured negatively with my hands as Alana resurfaced behind me, Fang landing on her stomach.  
"We're not river people," I said.  
"You're not? Well then what kind of people are ya?"  
Odette shrugged. "Just... People."  
"Aren't we all, brother? Whoo," the man said, pleased.  
Alana walked over just then, still mostly naked and with Fang soaking wet at her feet.  
"Who're you?" Alana asked with an accusing finger pointed at the man.  
"I'm Willy, and this was my wife Lily." He indicated the woman on the left. She made a little curtsy. "We're nomads, happy to go wherever the wind took us!" he said.  
He riffed on his guitar like a rock star for a moment, his voice not matching the various random notes he played.  
"You guys are nomads That's great! I'm a nomad," Odette said.  
"Hey, me too," Willy said.  
"I know... you just said that," she replied flatly.  
"Oh." Willy's attention wandered elsewhere, then to Alana. "Nice underwear."  
Alana looked down at her mostly naked body, Odette and I behind her. Her eyes bulged at the sudden realization that she was wearing very little in front of complete strangers. She grabbed Fang and placed him strategically over her body and sidled rapidly out of their view.

Ren:

I grunted in frustration as I made my way back to where my uncle and I had made camp.  
We'd been on the run for about three weeks now and were still in the same forest. I'd lost my other clothes a while back and was currently wearing a dark green shirt and trousers that'd I'd managed to steal from a group of unfortunate travelers. After I'd cut my pony tail, my hair had grown back quickly. Short dark brown hair now covered my head and I was surprised to find that I actually liked it better than my previous hairstyle.  
As I emerged from a tangle of bushes and stumbled into our current camp, I found my Uncle - clad in clothing similar to mine - squatting in front of a pretty white and red flower, mesmerized.  
"I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive," I snapped angrily and kicked at the ground. "This was impossible!"  
Uncle paid no attention to me and sniffed the flower deeply.  
"Uncle... what are you doing?" I asked more calmly.  
"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush," he said lovingly. "Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking!" Then his voice turned grave. "That, or it's the white Sage bush, which was poisonous."  
I sighed. "We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing."  
I left as he continued to mutter to himself.  
As I walked out of camp once again, he was still contemplating and stroking his chin. "Delectable tea? Or deadly poison?"

Odette:

I looked over at Emrys, who was lying down on the beach in front of the river happily. Actually, everyone but Alana was lying on or close to Emrys listening to Willy play his instrument. Alana herself approached, her usually grumpy expression plastered on her face.  
"Hey, Alana, you should hear some of these stories. These guys have been everywhere," I said, trying to get her to cheer up.  
Willy stopped playing. "Well, not everywhere, Little Arrowhead. But where we haven't been we've heard about through stories and songs."  
Alana raised an eyebrow in skepticism at this.  
"They said they'll take us to see a giant night crawler," I told her excitedly.  
A man named Moku spoke up dreamily. "On the way there's a waterfall that created a never-ending rainbow."  
"Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Odette was busy I guess it's up to me" Alana said firmly. I frowned at her as my hair was being braided by Lily.  
"We need to get to Naliwen," she said, counting off the verboten distractions on her hand. "No sidetracks, no worms, and definitely no rainbows."  
"Whoa... sounds like someone's got a case of "destination fever," heh. You're worried too much about where you're going," Willy said.  
Lily nodded in agreement with her husband. "You've gotta focus less on the "where" and more on the 'going.'"  
"Na. Li. Wen," Alana said empathetically.  
Alana's face got further exaggerated with each syllable.  
"Alana's right. We need to find King Bumi so Odette can learn earthbending somewhere safe," Kole said.  
"Well, sounds like you're headed to Naliwen," Willy said dopily.  
Alana smacked her forehead loudly at this.  
"There's an old story about a secret pass…" Willy said ominously. "...right through the mountains."  
"was this real or a legend?" Kole asked skeptically.  
Willy nodded. "Oh, it's a real legend. And it's as old as earthbending itself." He started playing his guitar and singing. "Two lovers, forbidden from one another... a war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart. Built a path to be together. Yeah, and I forget the next couple of lines, but then it went...Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!"  
Everyone enjoyed the song except Alana, who looked miserable. On the last note, Willy concluded his chord with a flourish that left his left index finger pointed to the sky in a gesture of triumph. His audience, except Alana, clapped enthusiastically.  
"I think we'll just stick with flying. We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine," Alana said.  
"Yeah. Thanks for the help, but Emrys hates going underground and we need to do whatever made Emrys most comfortable," I said smiling widely…  
We set out shortly after that and didn't make it very far.  
We'd probably been in the air for about ten minutes before we were attacked. A Fire Nation Commander stood in front of two long lines of Fire Nation catapults.  
"Launch!" the Commander screamed.  
All the catapults fired simultaneously. Emrys roared in mid flight, fireballs closing in around her. She dodged the fireballs at high speed, swinging us around on her back and we screamed in terror.  
We safely got away from them and opted to return back to the river where the nomads were.  
When we landed, we just sulked past them miserably.  
Willy and his band were sat by a log in the forest. We were covered in ash and depressed.  
"Secret love cave. Let's go," Alana said unenthusiastically.

Ren:

It was still daytime by the time I got back to camp. I was carrying a long fishing pole and had a sour expression on my face that matched my mood. The cause of my misery was my results from after four long hours of fishing. At the end of my enormous fishing pole I had succeeding in spearing what looked like a minnow. It wiggled pathetically and I glowered at it.  
I walked up behind my Uncle and was about to speak when he stopped me.  
"Ren, remember that plant that I thought might be tea?" he asked, not facing me.  
"You didn't!" I said, horrified.  
"I did." Uncle turned around to reveal his red, swollen face which he was scratching. "And it wasn't."  
I jumped back in repulsion. "Yah!"  
Uncle spoke calmly while scratching. "When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing. But look what I found! These are bacuren berries, known to cure the poison of the white Sage plant. That, or macahoni berries that cause blindness."  
"We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help," I said, losing my patience.  
"But where are we going to go? We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom, and fugitives from the Fire Nation," he said.  
"If the Earth Kingdom, discovers us, they'll have us killed," I mused.  
"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Athera."  
We looked at each other and nodded in agreement.  
"Earth Kingdom it was," I said.

Kole:

Emrys, our group, and Willy's group walked along a wide street lined with what looked like the ruins of temples.  
"How far are we from the tunnel," Alana asked.  
"Actually, it's not just one tunnel. The lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth," Willy said.  
Alana turned to face the others in a pose of horror, her hands held the sides of her head. "Labyrinth!"  
Willy smiled. "I'm sure we'll figure it out."  
Alana turned and began walking again.  
Lily nodded. "All you need to do was trust in love. According to the curse."  
At this Alana stopped, stood bolt upright as we passed her.  
"Curse!" she cried in exasperating.  
Finally we reached the moss covered entrance to a large tunnel in the cliff face. Our group stood in front of it. The tunnel was so large that Emrys could easily be accommodated.  
Willy was excited. "Hey-hey, we're here!"  
Alana stepped forward to read a plaque with some writing on the wall of the cave entrance.  
"What exactly was this curse?" she asked.  
Willy pointed to the plaque. "The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the caves. Otherwise you'll be trapped in them forever."  
"And die," Lily added.  
"Oh, yeah, and die. Hey, I just remembered the rest of that song." Willy strummed a chord on his guitar and sang low and dramatically. "And die!"  
"That's it! There's no way we're going through some cursed hole," Alana snapped, aggravated.  
Moku and the other two members of Willy's band pointed to the distance where a shaft of smoke curled towards the heavens.  
"Hey, someone's made a big campfire!" Moku said cheerfully.  
Odette's eyes darkened as she stared at the smoke. "That's no campfire, Moku."  
Alana wore a similar expression on her face. "That's Fire Nation. They're tracking us."  
I looked over my shoulder at Willy with an uncertain expression.  
"So all you need was to trust in love to get through these caves?" I clarified.  
Willy nodded. "That was correct, Master waterbender."  
I turned to look at Odette. She was still facing away from me as a soft breeze blew her hair and robes slightly, creating a mesmerizing effect. My heart swelled with nothing but adoration and I knew I would be okay as long as I had her by my side. I turned away from Kole and looked back at Willy with a smile.  
"We can make it."  
"Everyone into the hole!" Alana said hurriedly.  
Our group made it's way slowly into the tunnel, Emrys groaning in protest, but still following.  
A Fire Nation tank was rapidly approaching. Several tanks pulled to a stop in front of the cave entrance as we disappeared inside.  
"Hold on! It's too dangerous," I heard the commander from before warn. "Haven't you heard the song? Just close them in. The mountain will take care of the rest."  
The canister containing the projectile grappling hooks rotated upward. The tanks fired their grappling hooks into the top of the tunnel and pulled down a large amount of rock, completely blocking the entrance. Inside we turned in horror as the cave entrance collapsed.  
Emrys, on her hind legs, frantically tried to dig her way out of the trap.  
"It's okay, Emrys. We'll be fine," I said sympathetically. Then, less confidently, I said, "I hope."  
Alana looked around with Willy behind her held a lit torch.  
"We will be fine. All we need was a plan. Willy, how long do those torches last?" Alana asked.  
Willy shrugged. "Eh, about two hours each."  
"And we have five torches so that's…" Lily took the other four torches she was held and struck them on the ground like matches, lighting them instantly. "Ten hours."  
"It doesn't work like that if they're all lit at the same time!" Alana yelled while grabbing and stomping out the torches Lily lit.  
"Ohh, right," Lily said spacily.  
Alana pulled out a piece of parchment and charcoal from her backpack. "I'm gonna make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through.  
A little hesitantly, we slowly moved deeper into the tunnel.

Ren:

We luckily made it to an Earth Kingdom village by a lake before Uncle got too bad. One look at him and we were swiftly escorted to the village's hospital.  
Inside the room, I watched as a doctor worked with a patient who was on a table in front of him on his back. To the right of the room, Uncle was sitting on another table, naked from the waist up, being attended by Dove, a young woman who was a healer at the hospital. Uncle was covered with the red rash from eating the white Sage flower. Dove was applying a clay like substance to the rash.  
I sat behind the young woman, wearing a coolie hat to obscure my face as I looked toward the floor.  
"You two must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the white Sage, much less make it into tea and drink it," she said in a sweet voice.  
"Heh heh heh. Whoops!" Uncle said sheepishly.  
"So where are you traveling from?"  
I stood and talked quickly, not wanting her to have any idea about who we were. "Yes, we're travelers."  
She turned to me and smiled with big brown doe eyes. "Do you have names?"  
I balked, not knowing what to say since we'd never really thought backup names through yet. I just blurted the first names that came to mind.  
"Names Of course we have names. I'm... Lee. And this was my uncle, uh... Mushi," I said.  
Uncle shot me an unhappy look from behind Dove's back.  
Uncle became facetious as he spoke. "Yes, but my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior."  
Uncle looked over Dove's shoulder at me smugly and I balled my fists at the name my uncle had just bestowed on me.  
"Mushi and Junior, huh? My name was Dove. You two look like you could use a good meal." She turned and swatted Uncle's hand away as he scratched his rash. "Why don't you stay for dinner."  
"Sorry, but we need to be moving on," I said, not wanting to waste a moment. Athera may have tricked me before, but she couldn't do anything if I got the Avatar and returned home with her. With Drake dead I had no competition, so I should have a clear shot to her and I wanted to get moving as quick as possible.  
Dove was disappointed. "That's too bad. My mom always made too much roast duck."  
Uncle's puffy, clay smeared face popped up beside her.  
"Where do you live, exactly?"

Kole:

Alana was fooling around with a map with the rest of us stood behind her expectantly.  
"Alana, this was the tenth dead end you've led us to," I sighed.  
She was frustrated. "This doesn't make any sense; we already came through this way."  
"We don't need a map. We just need love," Willy said and pointed over to me. "The little guy knows it."  
I shrugged. "Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a map, also."  
"There's something strange here. There's only one explanation. The tunnels are changing," Alana said darkly.  
A low rumble through the tunnel startled everyone into looking up.

Ren:

That night, we all ate well at Dove and her mother's house, the best we'd had in weeks actually. Inside, Uncle, Dove, and I were seated at a knee high table. Dove's mother approached the table with a plate of roast duck.  
Her mother seated herself happily. "My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves."  
"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father," Dove said sadly.  
"I haven't seen my father in many years," I said, lowering my eyes bitterly.  
Dove looked at me understandingly. "Oh. was he fighting in the war?"  
My father was the war but I wasn't going to tell her that.  
Uncle finished slurping a mouthful of noodles as he looked with some trepidation at me to see how I would answer this dangerous question. I put my bowl on the table and replied.  
"Yeah," I said as I looked away.

Odette:

"The tunnels... they're a-changin'. Ah, it must be the curse. I knew we shouldn't have come down here," Willy cried, worried.  
"Right. If only we listened to you," Alana snorted cynically.  
"Everyone be quiet. Listen," Kole said.  
Sounds were heard in the darkness ahead. Fang jumped away from Alana's shoulder and ran off into the darkness. Alana looked ahead, fear in her eyes. After a few seconds, a wolf bat flew right at us, materializing out of the darkness. Alana was knocked over by the bat, which flew around our group members.  
"It's a giant flying thing with teeth!" Willed yelled in panic.  
"No! It's a wolf-bat!" Moku cried.  
The wolf bat landed on four legs, and folded it wings. After snarling a bit, it launched back into the air and flew over our head. Alana tried to burn it with the torch, but failed. Emrys got burned and stampeded around the tunnel. Finally the wolf-bat knocked the torch out of Alana's hand.  
It sailed through the air and landed on Emrys's toe. Emrys reared up and snarled out in pain. She ran around in anguish, hitting the cave walls and causing a cave in. As the roof collapsed I sent a blast of air to get Willy, Alana and the others out the falling debris' way. Then I turned and tackled Kole to the ground to protect him. When the dust settled, Kole, Emrys and I were separated from Alana and Willy's party.  
I heard Alana run to the obstruction and begin to dig frantically.  
"Yeah, it's no use. We're separated. But at least you have us, heh heh," I heard Willy say and I could just imagine Alana's expression.  
A few seconds later, she unleashed a howl of despair.  
"Noooooooo!"  
I heard her begin digging frantically again at the rocks but then gave up.

Ren:

I sat cross legged on Dove's porch, the only light coming from a large porch light. I'd had to get away…it had been so suffocating in there and I'd felt like my mind was going to explode.  
After a while, Dove left the house and walked over and sat beside me.  
"Can I join you?" she asked kindly and I didn't answer. "I know what you've been through. We've all been through it. The Fire Nation has hurt you."  
Tentatively, she reached out to touch my scar, but I grabbed her hand without looking before she reached my face. No one touched my scar. It was personal, my constant reminder of my punishment.  
"It's okay. They've hurt me, too," she said.  
She raised the part of her dress covering her right leg to reveal a firebending scar. I looked at her in shock and guilt.  
My people really were monsters…

Odette:

Emrys, Kole, and I walked through our own tunnel. Kole lead us by held a lit torch.  
"Odette, look!" he said and pointed ahead.  
Before us was a huge, round stone door and we ran to it.  
"We found the exit!" I said, relieved.  
We both began to strain with effort, trying to push the door open. Emrys lumbered forward and began to make noises. Kole and I turned to see her pawing the ground and snorting. We looked at each other in alarm, realizing Emrys's intentions. We jumped out of the way just as Emrys charged the door and forced it open. Kole and I entered and move deeper into the chamber.  
"This isn't the exit," Kole said.  
"No... it's a tomb…"  
We moved forward to a railing, peering down inside the tomb near the sarcophagi. Emrys grunted and we moved down.  
We descended a wide staircase leading to the sarcophagi at the center of the crypt. We approached the dais on which the two coffins rested.  
"It must be the two lovers from the legend. That's who's buried here," Kole said.  
He held his torch up to the side of the dais. A series of paintings and writing adorned the side of it.  
"These pictures tell their story," he said. "They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages. The villages were enemies so they could not be together. But their love was strong and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badger moles. They became the first earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth. But one day the man didn't come. He died in the war between their two villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power. She could have destroyed them all. But instead she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace. The woman's name was Nali and the man's name was Wen. The great city was named Naliwen as a monument to their love."  
Kole still pointed to the picture of the city of Naliwen as he finished. We looked at each other in wonder, then turned to look behind us. There we saw a statue of the two lovers kissing, a plaque with writing between them.  
Kole leaned close and read the inscription. "Love was brightest in the dark."  
I watched him carefully as he examined the statue, thinking of Ren again and how I needed to get over him - even if that was impossible.

Alana:

I could not believe I was stuck here with the hippy squad. Trying to get out of here as quick as possible was the only think that kept me from slamming my head into the cave wall.  
I was looking at my map, Fang perched at my feet.  
Moku groaned. "Oh, great! Your plans have led us to another dead end!"  
I became defensive at that. "At least I'm thinking of ideas and trying to get us out of here, Moku."  
Willy was surprised. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute; we're thinking of ideas! 'Cause I've had an idea for, like, an hour now."  
"Yes! We're all thinking of ideas!" I exploded.  
"Well, then listen to this: if love was the key out of here, then all we need to do was play a love song," he said.  
I smacked my forehead again for probably about the fifth time.

Odette:

"How are we gonna find our way out of these tunnels?" Kole asked.  
Even though I really didn't want too…I knew this was my chance. I had to get over Ren somehow, and if that meant using Kole as my crutch then okay. Besides…maybe I could grow to love him…  
"I have a crazy idea," I said nervously.  
"What?" he asked, turning to me.  
I bailed. "Never mind, it's too crazy."  
I turned away from him, knowing that I was being wrong and incredibly selfish.  
"Odette, what was it?" he asked.  
"I was thinking... the curse says we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love…"  
"Right…" he said, not getting where I was going with this.  
"And here it says 'love was brightest in the dark' and…" I turned to face him, but didn't have the guts to meet his eyes, "…it has a picture of them kissing."  
"Where are you going with this?" he finally asked, totally clueless.  
Ugh, here we go.  
"Well... what if we kissed?" I said, feeling my heart wrench at the idea.  
I finally looked up at him with a terrified yet slightly hopeful expression on my face. I knew I was blushing visibly even in the darkness. Kole didn't react for a second, then spoke.  
"Us, kissing?" he asked, surprised.  
"See? It was a crazy idea," I said, actually grateful that he didn't leap at the idea.  
I turned away from him.  
"Us... Kissing…" he repeated.  
I tried to laugh it off, practically dizzy with relief. "Us kissing. What was I thinking? Can you imagine that?"  
Kole also tried to laugh it off.  
"Yeah, heh, heh." He pointed at me for additional emphasis. "I definitely wouldn't wanna kiss you!"  
Umm…ouch? I mean yeah I was grateful he didn't want to kiss me and all but did he find me that repulsive?  
His eyes bugged out a moment after his last comment as he realized the mistake he had just made.  
"Oh, well I didn't realize it was such a horrible option. Sorry I suggested it!" I snapped, offended.  
He tried desperately to recover. "No, no, I mean... if there was a choice between kissing you and dying…"  
Further insulted, I turned away with a noise of indignation.  
"What? I'm saying I'd rather kiss you than die!" He clasped his hands together in a gesture of appeasement. "That's a compliment."  
"Well, I'm not sure which I would rather do!" I said, infuriated.  
I stalked off, angered and relieved all at once.

Ren:

Finally, Uncle and I were leaving Dove's house. We stood in her courtyard; it was still night, and fireflies buzzed lazily around us all. Dove and her mother stood ready to bid us goodbye.  
"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent," Uncle said graciously.  
"You're welcome," Dove's mother said as she handed him a package of leftover roast duck. "It brought me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such... Gusto."  
Uncle patted his stomach. "Much practice."  
With nothing to say, I turned to leave, but Uncle stopped me. "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."  
Grudgingly, I turned and offered a small bow, my face still obscured by my coolie hat.  
"Thank you," I said quietly, without much feeling. With no feeling actually.  
"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there was hope. The Avatar has returned!" Dove called after me quickly.  
I felt my blood boil at the mentioning of Odette.  
"I know," I said, quietly but intensely. I would have her soon enough.  
I walked off, Uncle in tow. As we passed the courtyard gate, I saw a stable where a war ostrich was tethered. I stopped and looked at the animal and then looked back at the courtyard. We needed something to move around on, or else I was never going to be able to track Odette.  
Without hesitation, I released the ostrich and began to lead it away with us.  
"What are you doing? These people just showed you great kindness," Uncle hissed, appalled.  
"They're about to show us a little more kindness," I said and offered my hand to Uncle. "Well?"  
Uncle looked down, dreadfully unhappy with this turn of events. But he took my hand and I helped him up. We swiftly rode away on the ostrich and into the night.

Odette:

Kole and I were still walking through the tunnel with Emrys.  
"We're gonna run out of light any second now, aren't we?" I sighed gloomily.  
Kole nodded. "I think so."  
"Then what are we gonna do?" I asked him.  
"What can we do?" he said, his eyes betraying what he'd said earlier. He wanted to kiss me, he was going to. And I was going to let it happen, even though it would rip my heart out to do so…  
His hand was in front of him held the dwindling torch. Kole looked at me, smiling while my face remained serious.  
Taking a deep breath, we leaned in to each other as the torch faltered and went out. Our lips met in the darkness. He kissed me softly, his lips molding to mine. I could tell how happy he was at this…but I felt like crying. I was lying to myself…my heart would always remain somewhere else. Like the fortuneteller said; I was destined for a scarred prince. Though it would be hard and a long road ahead, I would get there someday. And Kole…Kole would never be anything more than a best friend to me.  
After a moment of darkness, the tunnel was lit by an assortment of gems in the ceiling that glowed light blue. These were shortly joined by many more. The crystals form a path in the ceiling of the tunnel that stretched on as far as I could see.  
Kole and I stood beside each other, one hand each on the burnt out torch. We looked up at the crystals in wonder.

Alana:

Willy was still strumming his guitar as we continued walking through the tunnel. He stopped, though, when ominous sounds began to echo through the darkness. I was rubbing my head in frustration but stopped this and Fang jumped up beside me as the noises continued.  
Out of the darkness a huge pack of wolf-bats emerged. The flew over and around me and I flailed frantically about. They were gone in an instant, flying down the tunnel.  
"Hey-hey, you saved us, Alana!" Willy said happily.  
I frowned. Something is up. "No, they were trying to get away from something."  
Willy was confused as usual. "From what?"  
Behind us the rocks exploded and the tunnel around us quaked. A furry, brown badger mole appeared from the dust. Every single person in our group had a surprised expression on their face. Behind us another explosion of rock revealed another badger mole. We were surrounded.  
The badger mole in front of me bended earth around me, pinning me down and separating me from the others. The creature stomped the ground in front of me and knocked me backwards onto the ground.  
As I inched backwards away from the advancing badger mole, my fingers accidentally strummed one of Willy's guitars discarded on the ground in the shuffle. The badger mole stopped his advance and puzzled over me.  
I looked up, expecting to get killed. After a moment I realized what was going on, got up with the guitar and started strumming.  
"Hey, those things are music lovers!" Willy exclaimed.  
I tried to sing to the one note I was strumming and not doing very well. "Badger moles, coming toward me. Come on guys, help me out."  
Willy and her troupe stood and began to play their instruments and sing.  
"The big bad badger moles who work in the tunnels, hate the wolf bats but love the sounds," he sang and I prayed it would be enough.

Kole:

I was so ecstatic I could barely contain myself. After all this time, I had finally gotten what I wanted.  
We looked down the tunnel that was lit by the luminescent crystals.  
"It's made of some kind of crystals. They must only light up in the dark!" she said.  
We faced each other, our hands laced together.  
"That's how the two lovers found each other. They just put out their lights and followed the crystals," I said.  
She let go of my hand and pointed down the tunnel.  
"That must be the way out!" she said excitedly.  
We hugged and I squeezed her tightly in my arms, feeling like I could walk on air. But there were a few questions that I needed answered. Were we together now? Had she liked it? Had she just been scared and saw no other way out?  
"So... Um…" I started uncertainly, not knowing how to go about this.  
"Let's go!" she said and took off before I could say anything.  
I looked after her and smiled slightly. I followed with Emrys close behind me as we hurried through the last stretch of tunnel. Up ahead, the tunnel exit was clearly visible.  
Emrys took off and emerged from the tunnel at a gallop, stopped, reared up on her hind legs and flopped on her back. She was clearly happy to be outside once again.  
I came outside and breathed a deep sigh of relief. We'd made it.  
"What about Alana?" Odette suddenly asked, worried as she looked around.  
Before I could answer - or panic - Emrys rolled back to her feet as a rumbling sounded. Two holes were blown open next to the tunnel exit to reveal two badger moles. I shielded my face from the flying debris, but recognized my sister when I looked up.  
"Alana!"  
Alana slid down the side of the animal and ran over to me to give me a big bear hug, Fang following closely behind her.  
"How did you guys get out?" she asked us.  
"Just like the legend says: we let love lead the way," Odette said.  
"Really? We let huge ferocious beasts lead our way," my sister replied, smirking.  
Alana turned and waved goodbye to the badger moles. They turned and entered the two holes they'd created to exit the mountain, closing them up with their earthbending powers after they passed through.  
Fang began to bark and yap at Emrys excitedly, clearly telling the dragon the story of what happened after we got separated. I laughed as the wolf began to make gestures to illustrate his tale as Emrys grunted and put her head on her foot as she listened to Fang's explanation.  
"Why was your forehead all red?" I asked my sister after we broke our embrace.  
Alana's look turned sour, her forehead still very red. Before Alana could answer, Willy leaned over to us and began to whisper conspiratorially.  
"Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you. I think that kid might be the Avatar," he whispered, dead serious.  
Alana smacked her forehead again, answering my question. Alana's eyes glared over at the singer before Odette cut in, addressing the rest of Willy's troupe.  
"So, are you guys gonna come to Naliwen with us?" she asked.  
Moku shook his head. "Nope."  
"Okay. Thanks for everything, Moku," she said and I could tell she was a little disappointed by his answer.  
Willy took his flower necklace and placed it around Alana's neck.  
"Alana, I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey," he said and hugged her tightly.  
"Just play your songs," he said sullenly, blushing.  
Willy released her at such an excellent suggestion.  
"Hey, good plan!" he said and began singing. "Even if you're lost you can't lose the love because it's in your heart. Ooooohhhh.."  
As Willy's sings played out, Alana looked after them with a small smile of amusement. I looked sideways at Odette and she looked down and blushed.

Odette:

We were all walking up the hill of a small mountain. Some time had passed since Willy's departure, but it was thankfully still daytime.  
"The journey was long and annoying, but now you get to see what it's really about - the destination," Alana said, sighing dreamily.  
As we mounted the top of the hill Alana gestured grandly to the city before us.  
"I present to you the Earth Kingdom city of O…" We froze, all looking at the city in devastation.  
"Oh, no…" she finished.  
In front of Alana lied the devastated fortress city of Naliwen. It was surrounded by what appeared to be siege towers. The city was smoking and appeared to be on fire in several placed. On the main gate, the flag of the Fire Nation blew slightly in the wind.


	3. Chapter 3: Return to Naliwen

Odette:

I stared at the Fire Nation flag in horror as it fluttered in the wind. My eyes traveled over the fallen city of Naliwen but repeatedly returned to the flag that hung over the newly installed front gate. The path up to the city gate had been recently broken along a good portion of its length and been repaired. Around the fortress the scaffolding of what appeared to be siege towers could be seen. Columns of smoke still rose from various placed in the city.  
I shook my head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. I know the war has spread far, but Naliwen always seemed...untouchable."  
"Up until now, it was. Now Eralith was the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left," Alana said, her words layered with distress.  
"This was horrible, but we have to move on," Kole said and I balked at him.  
"No. I'm going in to find Bumi," I said firmly, not budging on this one.  
Alana grabbed my arm. "Odette, stop. We don't even know if Bumi still…"  
I turned to look at her, my expression hardening.  
"What? If he's still what?" I snapped defiantly.  
Alana refused to meet my eyes. "...around."  
"I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people around who can teach you earthbending," Kole said.  
I sighed. They just didn't get it did they?  
"This isn't about finding a teacher. This was about finding my friend," I said, starting towards the smoking city.  
There was no way we would make it through the new city gates undetected. It's turrets, guard house roofing, and even the paifang in front of the main gate were all built in Fire Nation architectural style. Behind the city wall, smokestacks and scaffolding could be seen.  
We'd have to go through the sewers.  
A flew minutes later, we reached our destination, with plenty of complaints from Alana. We were deep down in the city's moat, Emrys floating beside a ledge at the base of the Naliwen side of the moat. Emrys grunted a bit as she hover. As soon as we were off she would have to leave and find a place to hide until we were ready to leave.  
Alana gapped at me. "A secret passage?"  
Kole, Alana, Fang and I were standing in front of a capped drain pipe emerging from the wall. I was atop the pipe, using my staff as a lever to try and open the drain.  
"Why didn't we just use this last time?" she asked as the cap popped off, releasing a huge gout of greenish sewage, some of which washed over Alana. "Ugh!"  
"Does that answer your question?" I asked bitterly.  
The greenish sewage continued to pour out of the pipe as I swung inside and disappeared up the pipe, a smile on my face. Kole, Alana and Fang looked into the pipe after me and the flew that were buzzing around it. Alana jumped into the pipe and covered her nose as she moved forward.  
"Ew!"  
A determined expression filled my face as I airbended the sewage out of my way with my staff. Kole was behind me, traveling in my wake and Alana was behind him, who was made plenty of "ew!" and "ick!" noises.  
After a few minutes of trudging through the revolting smelling sludge, I found a sewer manhole that led to the middle of a road somewhere within the city. A quick puff of air popped the manhole open for a second. It settled back for a moment before I pushed it open with my hands and peered out.  
The street was empty.  
I dropped the manhole cover and jumped out into the open. Kole emerged behind me.  
"That wasn't as bad as I thought," he said with a smile.  
We turned back to the manhole as a blob of green sewage emerged. As the things lifted itself onto the street it moaned and groaned. Kole and I looked at each other horrified.  
Kole spotted something to his left and he bended some water from a nearby water barrel at the monster. The water washed the gunk away to reveal Alana, who yelled in surprise, then slumped, sopping wet. I swung my staff at her, whipping up a gale that blew her dry, once again producing an outcry from my target.  
Alana raised her head to reveal two purple octopus like creatures stuck to either side of her head. She was unaware of her guests until a second later they both palpitated a bit and squeaked.  
"Aaahhh!" She grabbed one creature in each hand and tried to pull them from her face, but their suckers kept them attached. She stretched them out to an absurd distance, but still they hung on.  
"Aaahh! Aahhh! They won't let go! Help! Aaaak!" she screeched in terror.  
I pounced on Alana, pinning her to the nearby wall, then releasing her, looking around in panic. Alana now sat on a crate, a sour and resigned look on her face.  
"Stop made so much noise. It's just a purple pentapus," I whispered, slightly annoyed.  
The pentapus' began to palpitate again, made slight squishing noises. Alana's eyes bugged out as she looked to either side of her face in horror and terrified. Slightly choked noises emerged from her throat as I came closer.  
I rolled my eyes and gripped the nearest pentapus. I rubbed its head with my finger and it raised its tentacles from Alana's cheek and popped off her face without further fuss. While rubbing her free cheek, Alana repeated the process on the other side of her face. The other pentapus squeaked a bit and released Alana's right check with another little popping sound. The suckers on the tentacles had left little round red dots all over Alana's cheeks. Alana rubbed her face for a second and I removed a third pentapus from behind her neck before we were interrupted.  
"Hey!" a guard's loud voice suddenly cracked through the still night air.  
I froze and turned slightly as three Fire Nation guards entered the street, heading right for us. Alana and Kole closed ranks to obscure me for a moment as I pulled on a red, flat top hat on to hide my airbender tattoo.  
"What are you kids doing out past curfew?" the guard asked harshly.  
Kole turned sheepish. "Sorry. We were just on our way home."  
My heart hammering in my chest, we turned and walked away, Alana bringing up the rear. The guard noticed the red welts on the back of Alana's neck and stopped us.  
"Wait! What's the matter with her?"  
So close.  
We stopped and turned around. Kole put his hands on his sister's shoulders.  
"Uh...she has pentapox, sir," he said hurriedly.  
The guard walked up to Alana, and moved to touch her.  
Kole had a pleasing, earnest look in his eyes as he spoke. "Um...it's highly contagious!"  
The guard hesitated, then pulled his hand back. Alana finally realized the ploy and began to act ill. She raised her hands in front of her in a zombie-like fashion and began to moan.  
"Uuuuuu...It's so awful...I'm dyiiiing…" she groaned.  
"...and deadly…" Kole added to his previous statement.  
Alana continued to moan and lurch forward. The guards began to lurch backward to avoid contact.  
"Wait, I think I've heard of pentapox," he said and turned to one of his comrades. "Didn't your cousin Chang die of it?"  
Alana advanced, coughing and spitting up gunk at them.  
"We'd better go wash our hands...and burn our clothes!" another guard said, frightened.  
The guards spun and ran away as fast as they could. Alana stopped her act and straighten up, pleased with herself.  
Smiling, I rubbed the head of a pentapus I had been held in my hand.  
"Thank you, sewer friend!"

Athera:

My ship was docked beside a beach. It was night, and a full moon hung overhead. The beach was filled with tents and was populated with people from my royal procession. I was sitting within my litter which rested atop the dais on the deck on my ship. I was flanked on either side by my crone teachers. Below us on the deck, a row of Fire Nation soldiers lied prostrate on either side of the ship.  
"When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with a royal procession may no longer be an option," one of the teachers said.  
"May no longer be wise...if you hope to keep the element of surprise," the other finished in a similar tone.  
I thought through their words for a moment before I nodded slightly in agreement. "You're right. The royal procession was dead weight. If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile...nimble. I need a small, elite team. It's time to visit some old friends…"  
I felt my lips curl into a smile as I thought of my two long lost companions.

Odette:

We looked around cautiously as we kept on moving ahead, trying to escape detection. We hid behind some construction material as a patrol passed.  
Kole lowered his voice so only Alana and I could hear him. "Let's find Bumi and get out of here."  
Alana looked around. "Where would they be keeping him?"  
"Somewhere he can't earthbend," I said, looking up and around. "Somewhere made of metal."  
Down below us, a party was exiting the fortress passage and emerged out into the open. The beginning of one of Naliwen's famous chutes ended where the party was walking below. Further up above us, I spotted an Earth Kingdome soldier who looked down at the torches the group was carrying. In front of him were some rocks or other objects ready to be dropped down the chute.  
I looked up at the earthbender's bearded face, wondering if he knew where they were keeping Bumi. His eyes were obscured by his helmet though so he didn't see me.  
"Take them out," I heard a low, gruff voice say.  
The soldier launched the rocks into the tube which went crashing down at high speed. I looked in horror at the falling debris, then over at the party of people passing to my left who would soon be crushed by the falling objects. I stood just next to the bottom of the chute as the rocks came sliding down, the party slightly below me on the plaza itself.  
I raised my staff and pulverized the rocks into pebbles and dust as it passed with a blast of air. The group below turned and stared at the huge cloud of dust from the foiled assassination attempt. A few moments of silence passed as they looked at me and I looked back at them. One woman in particular caught my interest as she glared at me with dead eyes.  
She was a young woman with a large quantity of well coifed, jet black hair. Her expression was emotionless, her eyes golden or light brown. Her face was narrowed and triangular and her eyes were shaped like a cat's eyes. Her lips were a deep red color, stood in stark contrast against her midnight black hair and moon pale skin. She was tall and thin and wore a long, red Fire Nation overcoat that was lined with gold and red pants and shirt. A blood red and gold sash wrapped around her slender waist, accenting her curves. Her feet were covered in deep red boots that barely poked out from the bottom of the entire outfit.  
An older woman pointed at me in alarm. "The resistance!"  
The expressionless woman smiled slightly and in an instant fanned out her arms, releasing a hail of small arrows. surprised, I dodged the arrows which embedded themselves on the stack of construction material I was standing on.  
Kole, Alana, and I ran to the right as fast as we could, pursued by Fire Nation soldiers who climbed up a couple ladders from the plaza below. Kole turned and, using the water from his water skin, he whipped them off the ledge and onto the plaza below.  
The woman stealthily started running at Kole, her arms spread to either side. She fired another hail of daggers at us from some unknown mechanism around her hand and forearm. I noticed that her nails were long and black.  
Kole created a wall of ice in front him, stopping the daggers. The woman continued the pursuit as Kole fled. I let Kole pass as I turned to face the dark woman. As my assailant approached, I caused some construction scaffolding on my right to collapse between us. As the scaffolding collapsed, the woman was able to get one, ornate throwing star through the falling debris. I twirled my staff in front of me and stopped it just in time. The dust from the falling scaffolding cleared, once again giving the woman a clear shot. She threw another hail of arrows, but my two companions and I fell through a large trap door which closed instantly above us.  
I looked around in shock at the tunnel we had just fallen into. Green sewage dripped from the ceiling and the entire place smelled of wet earth.  
Alana and I rubbed our heads from where we had smacked them on the flood. stood above us was the bearded Earth Kingdom soldier who gave the order to go ahead with the failed attack.

Athera:

As I walked through the grass, a few people were working on finishing tent set up and rolling barrels around. I looked around for a moment before I spotted who I was looking for. Smiling slightly, I walked up to her and tilted my head to the side.  
"Kenna, could that possibly be you?" I asked my old friend.  
She was performing a headstand on her index fingers. She was a very pretty, brightly grey eyed girl with a long dark brown braid that - even in the half pony style she had it in - went down to her waist. She was dressed in a pink and red outfit. Her cropped pink shirt was cut in a way that exposed her perfectly toned, flat bellied stomach and slender, lithe figure nicely. She wore comfortable reddish pink pants and flat pink shoes that matched her pink top.  
She smiled widely when she saw me. "Athera!"  
Kenna broke her headstand with a couple of graceful moved. She prostrated herself on the ground, then ran and gave me a bear hug.  
I smiled and returned the hug, not something I usually did.  
Kenna smiled widely. "It was so good to see you!"  
"Please, don't let me interrupt your…" I raised an eyebrow, searching for the right word and failing.  
"Whatever it was you were doing."  
Kenna, still smiling, flipped over backwards and ended up lying on her chest, with one of her feet arched over in front of her head, the other pointing straight up into the air.  
Behind me, three circus people were trying unsuccessfully to coax a platypus bear dressed in a red vest and wearing a fez to move.  
"Tell me, what was the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in…" I watched the efforts with the platypus bear and continued with a slight note of contempt in my voice. "placed like this."  
The platypus bear groaned and then got up with a slight popping noise to reveal that it had laid an egg.  
I scrunched my face at it in disgust before turning back to Kenna.  
"I have a proposition for you. I'm hunting a traitor." I looked at my wrist a bit absent mindedly. "You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle, don't you?"  
Kenna was still resting on her chest and elbows, but now with both feet planted on her head. "Oh yeah. He was so funny."  
"I would be honored if you would join me on my mission," I said.  
"Oh...I...uh...would love to," she said and sprang back to her feet in a single, fluid motion. "But the truth was, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!"  
She smiled serenely and I narrowed my eyes slightly.  
No one said no to me. Ever. Weather she wanted to or not she was accompanying me on this trip; I needed her skills if I was going to succeed.  
"I'll take your word for it. Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me," I said dramatically.  
Kenna bowed slightly and clasped her hands in a gesture of thanks. "Thank you, Athera."  
I walked away as Kenna turned and with a smile raised her leg to her head in an impressive stretch. Smirking, I turned to address her once more.  
"Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show," I said slyly.  
My smirk grew as I saw her start, losing her grip on her leg. She recovered and gripped her long leg once more.  
"Uh...yeah...sure...uh...of course…" she said, sounding worried even though she tried to hide it.  
Perfect.

Odette:

We were in a cavern under Naliwen.  
It was filled with what the Earth Kingdom called resistance fighters. Resistance Leader and my group stood on the ledge in front of the main exit tunnel from the room, which was lit by several lamps hanging from the walls.  
"So, was King Bumi with you guys? was he leading the resistance?" I asked hopefully.  
"Of course not! The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city...to fight for our lives and for our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered," the leader snapped with quiet intensity.  
I stared at him in shock, disconcerted at this news. Kole looked at me in concern, waiting for my reaction.  
"The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do," the Resistance Leader continued. "He looked me in the eye and said…'I'm going to do...nothing!'"  
The leader sighed. "It doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation was the only path to freedom. And freedom was worth dying for."  
I didn't agree with that. "Actually there's another path to freedom. You could leave Naliwen. You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation. But you're outnumbered. You can't win. Now's the time to retreat, so you can live to fight another day."  
The resistance leader immediately disagreed with me. "You don't understand. They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at ANY cost!"  
"I don't know, living to fight another day was startin' to sound pretty good to me," one soldier piped up.  
Another stepped forward. "Yeah, I'm with the kid!"  
The resistance leader looked down into the cavern where the other fighters and displaced citizens of Naliwen whispered their agreement.  
The resistance leader turned back to us. "Fine. But there's thousands of citizens that need to leave. How're we going to get them all out?"  
Alana, stroked her chin, thinking.  
"Suckers!" she suddenly said.  
The rest of the group stared at her, giving her odd looked. Fang barked questioningly. Alana's eyes darted back and forth.  
"You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox."

Kole:

With a bucket of water and about a dozen pentapi we got to work. Everyone grabbed one, which squeaked as they left their water. The resistance fighters, now above ground in the city, applied pentapi to their exposed skin. The pentapi undulated a bit and left their red marks when removed. After some time, Alana addressed a crowd of sick looking citizens and resistance fighters.  
"The marks make ya look sick, but you gotta ACT sick, too. Ya gotta sell it!" Alana said.  
An old man walked between Alana and the crowd, groaning pathetically and held a hand to his allegedly aching back.  
Alana put her arm around an earth kingdom citizen next to her. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about."  
The old man looked back at Alana. He tapped his wooden leg with his cane and smiled.  
"Years of practice," he said.  
Alana pointed toward the city and raised her voice to address the crowd.  
"Okay everyone! Into sick formation."  
The citizens and Alana walked forward. I moved to join, but turned as Odette headed in a different direction. Fang barked excitedly.  
I frowned. "Odette, what are you doing? Aren't you coming with us."  
She turned to face me. "No. I'm not leaving until I find Bumi."  
Fang pawed at her and whined. Odette picked him up and hugged him close before setting him on the floor.  
"Sorry Fang, I'll feed you later," she sighed.  
Odette airbended herself to the surrounding rooftops and bounded away.

Alana:

We all made zombie-like noises as our crowd of "sick" Naliwen citizens staggered through the city streets. Several mobs of people were approaching the soldiers, all moaning, some even falling over, "dead". Kole and I were both covered in red splotches and moaning, the Fire Nation soldiers now terrified.  
"Plague! Plague!" they yelled in panic.  
The soldiers turned and ran back to the citadel behind them. Above, a Fire Nation soldier was banging an alarm. Below, the moaning citizens advanced as the guards ran away.

Odette:

I airbended myself through the city, searching for anything.  
From a rooftop I spied Flopsie, chained to a millstone. On his hind legs, Flopsie pushed the turntile that drove the mill. He was alone while performing this backbreaking work and I knew this was the perfect chance to free him.  
I jumped down.  
"Flopsie!" I said in an excited whisper.  
I stood with my hands outstretched to receive a hug, but Flopsie was restrained by his chain. He made unhappy noises and sat sadly. I jumped onto the turntile, waterbended some water from a nearby cistern and froze it around the chain where it was connected to the turntile. I then broke the chain with my staff. Flopsie lunged forward, scooped me up in a hug and licked me.  
I laughed and climbing on top of him. "Come on, Flopsie. You gotta help me find Bumi. Yip Yip! Oh...I guess that doesn't work with you. Let's go!"  
We took off at high speed into the streets of Naliwen.

Athera:

That night, I sat in a brightly lit circus tent. Some performers in two dragon costumes jumped out of the way to reveal the Circus Master addressing the crowd. Behind him was the circus' main ring.  
"We're deeply honored to have the Fire Lord's daughter at our humble circus," he said.  
He gestured grandly at me where I and two guards resided in a box seat high above him, richly decorated in Fire Nation livery. The rest of the circus looked rather empty.  
"Uh...tell us if there was anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable," he said.  
I smirked. "I will."  
we turned out attention to the main circus ring. A net was stretched across it. Kenna, wearing colorful clothing and a golden tiara like head piece, was doing a head stand using one hand held a short stick. This stick in turn was balanced on top of what looked like the frame of a small tent. Incredibly, this tent frame, in its turn, balanced on a high wire.  
"Incredible. Do you think she'll fall?" I asked, knowing the answer already. I had known Kenna long enough to know that she never fell…never made a flaw in her skills.  
The Circus Master shook his head. "Of course not."  
Now here comes the fun part.  
"Then wouldn't it make it more interesting if you removed the net?" I asked innocently.  
"Uh...the thing is...the performers…" he started, concerned.  
"You're right, you're right. That's been done." I spoke again after a short pause, grinning nastily. "I know. Set the net on fire."  
"Of course, Princess," he said, knowing he could not disobey my command.  
He stood and shot a gout of flame at the net which promptly caught fire. I stared up at Kenna's face, the fire from the net reflecting on her face as she still remained balanced on the high wire. Sweat poured down her unhappy face. The Circus Master looked up tensely towards Kenna, his fists balled in frustration.  
"Brilliant, just brilliant!" I looked back down at the Circus Master, enjoying my little game. "Oooo, what kind of dangerous animals do you have?"  
"Well, our circus boasts the most exotic assortment…"  
"Release them all!"  
Kenna's expression became utterly terrified as the sound of wild animals erupted and filled the air.

Kole:

The full moon shined down on the newly formed camp of Naliwen citizens outside the city.  
I looked over and saw Odette and Flopsie walking towards the camp, Flopsie made vaguely tired grunts. Alana and I got up from our nearby fire and went over to her.  
"We looked everywhere. No Bumi," she said sadly.  
I hugged her, not knowing what to do to make her feel better. Flopsie made sad noises, and Alana hugged him. The Resistance Leader walked up behind us.  
"We've got a problem. We just did a head count," he said.  
I froze. "Oh no. Did someone get left behind?"  
"No." He pointed to the right. "We have an extra."  
Fang walked past, a terrified expression on his face due to the fact that a baby was attached to him around his neck. The baby was laughing as he hugged the befuddled wolf. Fang dragged his body across the ground, trying to escape. We all watched Fang drag the baby around in shocked silence.

Athera:

I dropped a bouquet of dead roses unceremoniously on Kenna's dressing room table. I stood behind her as she sat and took off the makeup from her performance.  
"What an exquisite performance. I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow," I said, willing to torment her as long as it took until I got her to bend to my wishes.  
Kenna looking at my reflection in her mirror, smiling.  
"I'm sorry Athera, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow," she said in a pleasant voice.  
I narrowed my eyes, hiding a smirk. "Really?"  
Kenna hung up her tiara. "The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a career change. I want to join you on your mission."  
Kenna turned to face me and I smiled at her, satisfied to have gotten my way once again.  
Kenna and I may have been old friends…but no one dared to defy me, not even her.

Odette:

I sat with the others around a campfire. The strange baby was wandering around after Fang and made cute noises. They arrived at Kole and Alana, Alana's water tribe club lying on the ground. The baby picked up the club and started to suck on it. Alana grabbed it angrily and held it away.  
"No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" she snapped.  
The baby began to cry and Kole looked over at his sister crossly, whacked her across the face and folded his hands across his chest.  
Alana glared at him and then groaned. "Oh...alright."  
The baby stopped crying instantly and began to play with the club.  
Kole leaned over to hug the baby from behind. "Ooo, you're so CUTE. Mmmmm…"  
The resistance leader, sat on the other side of the camp fire, shook his head. "Sure he's cute now, but when he's older he'll join the Fire Nation army. You won't think he's so cute then. He'll be a killer."  
Kole picked the baby up, who still clearly wanted to play with the club. "Does that look like the face of a killer to you?"  
The resistance leader just looked at him gravely.  
Just then a messenger hawk screamed across the moonlit night. It landed on a nearby rock that oversaw the camp.  
"A messenger hawk!" the leader said.  
I unrolled the message brought by the hawk.  
I scanned through the message and started, my heart dropping into my stomach. "It's from the Fire Nation governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son. So...he wanted to make a trade. His son for King Bumi."

Kole:

The next day I looked up to see a partly cloudy sky. Odette was looking out over an expanse of mountains, her back to us. After a moment's pause, she walked down the hill, carrying the baby in her arms. She walked down towards Alana, Fang, and I below her.  
"You realize we're probably walking right into a trap?" Alana asked her as she reached us.  
Odette brushed her hair behind and ear to keep it out of her face. "I don't think so. I'm sure the Governor wanted his son back as much as we want Bumi. It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this."  
I just hoped she was right.

Athera:

Several Fire Nation guards carried my litter on their shoulders through one of Naliwen's many plazas. Kenna walked along beside me, chattering animatedly while I tuned her out. We were in Naliwen for the second and final member of my team. When we reached the palace, she was already waiting there for me, her normal coifed black hair, cat like eyes, and expressionless pale face easy to spot.  
She was standing at the foot of a large, white staircase and the guards lowered the litter to the ground in front of her. I got out walked over to her - calculating her every reaction as I was joined quickly by Kenna.  
She bowed, speaking in her usual dull voice. "Please tell me you're here to kill me."  
I stared at her for a moment as she looked up slightly and smiled. I broke out in a smile and we both began to laugh.  
"It's great to see you, Naveen," I said, the hug between us actually genuine. Naveen had always been my favorite out of our little trio. If felt a little weird to be stood together again even though the three of us had practically been raised together. But it had been many years since we'd last seen each other…and things changed with time. Luckily for me though, my old friends seemed exactly the same; which I needed in order to get my job done.  
Kenna ran over and hugged Naveen, looking like she was going to burst with happiness.  
Naveen was somewhat surprised. "I thought you ran off and joined the circus? You said it was your calling."  
Kenna released her and smiled widely. "Well, Athera called a little louder."  
"I have a mission," I said and put one of my hands on each of their shoulders. "And I need you both."  
Naveen didn't even hesitate. "Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place."  
I smiled and together we went into the palace. I had one more thing that needed to be taken care of before we could depart.  
In the throne room, I took the liberty of taking the Governor's seat and ordered a few guards to bring him to me immediately.  
A few minutes later, the Governor -who also happened to be Naveen's father, his wife, and my friends all stood before me.  
The Governor bowed her head in misery, already knowing why I was here. "I apologize."  
He kneeled on a red pillow, looking up at me in trepidation, his hands held out before him in a pleading gesture.  
I never got tired of made people squirm. It was just so…full filling.  
"You've come to Naliwen at a difficult time. At noon we're made a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back," he explained.  
"Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son," I said, lying through my teeth as I crossed my legs in front of me. To be honest, I wouldn't have cared if the useless little brat had been carried off by eagles.  
"But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?" I stood, suddenly angry, and looked down upon him. "My father has trusted you with this city," I growled and made a slashing gesture with my left hand as I spoke. "And you're made a mess of things!"  
The Governor prostrated his self. "Forgive me, Princess."  
I walked between the Governor and my two friends, still looking down at him.  
"You stay here," I ordered as Naveen and Kenna stood up behind me. "Naveen will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up."  
I walked out but paused when I reached the door. "And there was no more "Naliwen". I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the City of New Mordred."

Odette:

Still wearing my hat, Kole and Alana met me at the bottom of the scaffolding of a huge statue that was under construction. Each of us looked ahead with defiance while Alana held the baby.  
The dark haired girl who had attacked us mounted the platform with two others beside her. One was dressed in bright pink clothing and seemed like a very bubbly, sweet person even though her face was hard and threatening as she looked on us. The other girl was tall and slender but well toned like the other two. Her hair was dark brown and she had amber eyes that glittered ferociously and a very pretty face. Though her face was pretty it was marred by a nasty smirk. The overall impression that I got of her was cunning, malicious, and dangerous. Also…she reminded me of someone though I couldn't place who it was she resembled.  
The girl with the dark black hair lead the group but I had a feeling she wasn't the one who held the real power out of the three.  
Our two groups faced each other at opposite ends of the construction platform. The air was filled with a thick tension that set my teeth on edge. Where they stopped, the girl with dark hair glanced up at the scaffolding where a crane was lowering a metal coffin suspended by a chain. Inside, the laughing and snorting King Bumi could be heard. Sure enough, the coffin twisted on the chain to reveal Bumi's face, visible through a porthole just large enough for his face.  
"Hi, everybody!" he called cheerily.  
The coffin landed stood straight up behind the dark haired girl and her companions.  
"You brought my brother?" she asked, her voice just as flat and expressionless as her face.  
I nodded. "He's here. We're ready to trade."  
Suddenly, the girl who had the dangerous air about her spoke up. "I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind Naveen?"  
The girl with the black hair turned to her and bowed slightly. "Of course not, Princess Athera."  
A royal huh?  
"We're trading a two year old for a king," she said, turning to Bumi. "A powerful, earthbending king."  
King Bumi smiled, closed his eyes, and nodded at her. "Mmm hmmm!"  
What was he doing? Had he completely lost his mind!  
Athera turned back to Naveen. "It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?"  
Naveen looked away from Athera and towards her brother in Alana's arms. The baby was cooing over Alana's shoulder as Naveen began to walk forward.  
"You're right," she said and then spoke to me. "The deal's off."  
Wow. Talk about tough love…  
Naveen raised her left hand and Bumi was lifted back off the ground as the chain was reeled in from above.  
King Bumi was apparently enjoying himself. "Whhhoa! See you all later!"  
Oh, there was no way they were walking away from this deal.  
"Bumi!" I cried out as he continued to laugh and snort.  
I rushed forwards towards Naveen, Athera and the other girl. As I approached, Athera bended a plume of whitish blue fire at knee level towards me. Before it could reach me, I jumped high into the air to avoid it. I landed on part of the partially constructed building and jumped off again. I opened my glider in mid air, but lost my hat, exposing my tattoo as my hair flew back from my face. I grabbed the hat with my mouth before it flew away, but it was too late, Athera had recognized me.  
"The Avatar!" she said, surprised before her lips curled into an evil smile. "My lucky day."  
Athera ran over to the elevator winch and released the break with a blast of blue fire. The winch began to spin rapidly as Athera grabbed one of the chains attached to the mechanism. The winch raised her rapidly toward the top of the construction scaffolding but I was faster.  
I landed atop Bumi's coffin as it continued its ascent.  
"Odette, was that you? Where did you come from?" he asked.  
"Hang on! We're gonna get you out of here," I replied, not wasting a second.  
I took a deep breath and began to blow on the chain connecting the coffin to the crane, slowly freezing it. Below I saw Naveen and the other girl charging Kole and Alana. Several blades extend from Naveen's right hand. Kole was in a waterbending stance while Alana blew on the dragon whistle.  
The baby grabbed the whistle as Kole and Alana ran to the edge of the construction platform. Suddenly, a fist punched Alana's foot as she passed from a hole in the floor. Alana went sprawling to the edge of the platform, but landed on her back, protecting the baby.  
I saw Kole look down the platform to see the girl in pink vault out of a trap door in the floor and head towards Alana and the baby. Kole created a water whip and prepared to struck the girl, but turned just in time to use the whip to raise up some wood from the floor to block the blades that Naveen had just thrown at him. The blades buried themselves in the wooden planks. Kole then used the whip to throw the wood at Naveen, then turned and caught the pink girl's ankle with it. She fell flat on the ground as Alana climbed down a ladder with the baby. Kole whipped Naveen away once again as he tried to make his escape. Alana slid down the ladder and took off below with the baby.  
While all this was going on, Bumi and I were still being raised with the coffin and I was still blowing on the chain.  
"Odette, stop your blowing for a minute," Bumi said.  
The chain was now encased in ice where it meet the coffin. Just then an explosion of dust announced the arrival of Princess Athera. Athera jumped high into the air after having been carried up at high speed by the mechanical energy of the winch below. As she reached the height of her arc, she unleashed a blast of blue fire from her foot at me. Since I was still on top of the coffin, as the blast came toward me I was able to partially deflected it with my staff, but the chain held the coffin broke.  
"Now hold on just a-" he broke off when the chain snapped and started screaming as we fell.  
As we were about to hit one of Naliwen's chutes, I created a huge airball that deflected our fall. We landed in the chute and began to ride down it.  
My heart pounding, I surfed atop Bumi's coffin as it rocketed down the chute.  
I smiled and laughed. "Just like old times, isn't it, Bumi?"  
"Odette…. You!" he yelled but I could barely hear him above the noise.  
"It's good to see you too!" I yelled back, smiling.  
I looked up to see Athera riding a box in a chute just above us. I began to twirl my staff rapidly to dissipate the blue fire bolts rapidly fired at us by the Princess. Our chutes merged and Athera was now behind us. I launched a gale at her, but she parted it with her hands steeled in front of her. She followed, launching more fire blasts at me. Finally, we entered the portion of the chute that had arches over it at short intervals. I blasted these with wind and they came tumbling down on the chute between Athera and us.  
She and the box disappeared as they entered the dust cloud of the fallen arches. The box emerged from the other side without Athera. I breathed a sigh of relief, but screamed as she stood up from where she had been crouched in the box. She launched another blue blast of fire, but I ducked and avoided it.

Kole:

Whoever these girls were, they were obviously well trained and highly skilled. I faced Naveen on the construction platform, trying to get the upper hand. I whipped her, but missed as she leaned back to avoid the water. As she leaned back, Naveen launched another blade from a device around her ankle, but I blocked it with a wall of ice. Naveen charged me, her arms sweeping back behind her in a herring bone formation. As she approached, I encased her arm in water and froze it. Naveen tried to break the ice with her free arm, but failed.  
The girl who was dressed in pink - I'd heard Naveen call her Kenna - jumped up onto the platform and bounded toward me. She systematically jabbed various pressure pointed on me, causing my whip to fall to the ground, useless, and the ice around Naveen's arm to melt. Kenna jumped over to stand by Naveen. Startled, I recovered and assumed another stance. I tried to raise the water from the platform, but very little happened.  
I stared at Naveen and Kenna, both waiting for me to do something but I couldn't. It was like I had no bending at all.  
That was the first time in my life I had every truly been scared.  
"How are you gonna fight without your bending?" Naveen taunted.  
She pulled out another blade from her robe, this one a three pointed device that unfolded into a talon shaped throwing star. I gasped as Naveen got ready to throw. As she did, Alana's boomerang came flying through the air from behind Naveen and knocked the star out of her hand.  
Alana atop Emrys, caught her boomerang.  
"I seem to manage!" she said smugly.  
Alana and Emrys landed between me and my would be killers. Emrys's tail came down in a huge arc, smashing the platform in behind her, throwing Naveen and Kenna way back and made a huge hole in the floor.  
Alana and I were now flying atop Emrys. I looked to my left and pointed as I spotted a familiar mop of flowing brown hair.  
"There's Odette!"  
Alana nodded. "We can catch her!"  
We zeroed in on the chute where Odette and Athera were battling below.  
Athera threw blasts of blue fire ahead of her. Odette deflected them with her staff as we pulled up alongside them.  
Odette looked at us and turned back to Bumi. "Hang on, Bumi! Our ride's here!"  
Odette struck the side of the chute with her staff, launching the coffin out of the chute. Alana and I tried to grab the coffin as it passed overhead, but we missed, just barely bushing the bottom of it. The coffin sailed over Emrys and fell down the other side.

Odette:

Bumi screamed on the way down.  
We landed crosswise on another chute and broke right through it. We fell through to another chute, this time landing lengthwise and we began to slide down once more.  
Athera continued to pursue us in her box. She created a circular saw blade of blue fire and launched it at the coffin. As it approached, Bumi strained in his bonds and caused a pillar of earth to rose up through the chute just in time to absorb the blast. Athera jumped out of her box just as it impacted on the pillar of earth. She slid to a halt in the chute, looking displeased as she watched Bumi and I slide away.  
Bumi's coffin began to plane out as it reached the bottom of the chute.  
I gaped at him. "You could earthbend all along!?"  
"Well, they didn't cover my face," he replied.  
Bumi strained again within his bonds. An outcropping of rock appeared at the end of the chute. The coffin hit it as it exited the chute and ended up stood straight up on the newly raised rock. I now looked up at Bumi in his coffin.  
"I don't understand," I said getting angry as my questions became rapid fire. "Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Naliwen was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi!?"  
"Listen to me, Odette. There are options in fighting, called jin. It's a choice of how you direct your energy," he started.  
"I know!" I snapped, held up my fingers as I counted them off. "There's positive jin when you're attacking, and negative jin when you're retreating."  
"And neutral jin when you do nothing!" he said, smiling his classic smile.  
Startled, I looked at my hand which now had three fingers raised. I had never heard of that before. "There are three jins?"  
King Bumi looked to the side. "Well, technically there are eighty five. But, let's just focus on the third. Neutral jin was the key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."  
"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?" I said with dawning and understood.  
King Bumi nodded. "Yes, and it's why I can't leave now."  
I looked down and turned away, sad and disappointed. It looked like Bumi wouldn't teach me after all.  
"I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending," I said.  
King Bumi smiled softly. "Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jin. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking."  
Fang jumped over to me and barked and I wondered where he had suddenly come from.  
"Hey, Fang!" I said, happy to see him nonetheless.  
King Bumi smiled. "Fang's mastered a few jins himself!"  
I looked up and smiled sadly at my old friend.  
"Goodbye, Odette. I'll see you when the time was right."  
Bumi leaned back and his coffin tumbled back into the chute. Laughing maniacally, Bumi used his earthbending powers to drive his coffin back up the chute.

Athera:

Furious, I glared ahead as my litter drove out of the city. I was sitting in my litter, partially obscured by the litters veil, my friends walking beside me.  
"So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle, huh?" she asked.  
"It'll be interesting seeing Ren again, won't it, Naveen?" Kenna asked, teasing.  
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I couldn't believe Naveen was still hung up on my brother…of all people!  
Naveen turned sideways and smiled for a brief second before looking ahead again.  
I ignored that. "It's not just Ren and Uncle anymore. We have a third target now."  
Ren would already be hot on her trail, and if I had to kill my brother to get him out of my way then I would. I had a new game to play, and unfortunately for her, that pretty girl was my new target.

Odette:

I peeped over a balcony, spotting the Governor held his wife on the patio below where I was hiding.  
It was night, or just past dusk. It'd been a long day and I couldn't tell.  
I glided silently down from above and released the baby, who toddled over to her parents and departed as silently as I came.  
The baby was greeted with joy.  
"Tom-Tom!" the General's wife gasped.  
I watched from the roof with a smile, then flew away.


	4. Chapter 4: The Swamp

Ren:

We finally made it to an Earth Kingdom village far enough away from my sister that we could stay for a few days. From where I was sitting, I could see a bridge over one of the nearby streams. People bearing backpacks and other loads walked back and forth over the bridge, either entering or departing the village.  
Uncle and I were on a dusty street somewhere within the village, sat on straw mats, our stolen ostrich horse behind us. Uncle held his tattered hat in his hand, braving the harsh sun that shone down on us ruthlessly.  
A cart festooned with masks for sale passed briefly in front of us and I noticed with amusement that one of the masks was my "Blue Spirit" mask. As the cart passed, another pedestrian walked in front of Uncle and he held his hat out to the pedestrian and spoke to him.  
"Spare coins for weary travelers?"  
The man threw a few copper coins into Uncle's hat, joining perhaps a dozen already there.  
I turned to Uncle in anger, not liking our situation one bit. "This was humiliating! We're royalty. These people should be giving us whatever we want."  
This was no life for a prince. We were beggars begging off of other beggars. I'd always looked down on those people, always been disgusted by their lowliness. It was almost unbearable to think of myself as one of those who I had looked down on once…  
"They will - if you ask nicely," he replied calmly.  
Several more pedestrians passed. Uncle next solicited a well dressed young woman.  
He spoke in a weak voice and looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Spare change for a hungry old man?"  
I rolled my eyes as she ate it up. What a moron.  
"Aww," she said - looking at us like we were lost animals or something - as she produced a coin from her sleeve and put it in his hat. "Here you go."  
Uncle smiled. "The coin was appreciated, but not as much as your smile."  
I slapped my forehead in a gesture of frustration as the girl giggled and walked away. Groaning, I slid into a petulant pose as I sat, wishing I was somewhere else.  
The next to come by was a man carrying a pair of broadswords on his back, wandering in the opposite direction of the girl. He stopped and addressed the us.  
He smiled somewhat cruelly. "How about some entertainment in exchange for…a gold piece."  
He waved a gold coin in front of our faces like it was a dog treat.  
"We're not performers," I said darkly, glaring at him icily.  
Uncle smiled and put his hat on the ground. "Not professional, anyway."  
He stood up and clasped his hands together and began to sing…much to my utter enjoyment. I pressed my fingers to my temples as I tried to block out the embarrassing noise.  
As Uncle sang, he shifted from one foot to another as he rocked back and forth. "It's a long, long way to Eralith, but the girls in the city they look soo prett-ay!"  
The Broadsword Man was displeased.  
"Come on! We're talking a gold piece here!" he snapped as he whipped out his broadswords. "Let's see some action!"  
My eyes burned with anger.  
The Broadsword Man pointed a sword at Uncle. "Dance!"  
The man began to swing his swords at Uncle's legs. Uncle hopped up and down to avoid the blew while continuing his song.  
"And they kiss so sweet that you've really got to meet the girls from Eralith!" he sang, his eyes wide as he tried not to get sliced.  
I grit my teeth and gripped my knees in my hands, trying not to jump up and show him my idea of "entertainment". I glared furiously at the sadistic almsgiver, already thinking of all kings of ways I would make him pay for humiliating us further.  
"Hahaha! Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner." He chortled loudly and tossed the coin. "Here ya go!"  
Uncle leaned down and picked up the coin as the Broadsword Man walked away, re-sheathing his swords. He sat back down as both of us looked towards our benefactor's retreating back.  
Uncle smiled. "Such a kind man!"  
Luckily for us I wasn't a kind man. And if there was one thing I wanted more than my old life back, it was revenge.  
I glared after the man, angry and humiliated.

Odette:

We were flying swiftly over a swampy area, Emrys barely made a sound as she glided over the treetops.  
Fang peeped over the saddle guard and whined, Kole was reading a scroll and looking vaguely bored. Alana was sharpening her machete, also looking bored.  
I looked ahead; vacant, almost mesmerized. I held the reigns loosely in my hands, my mind blanking out as I focused on the swamp. Some sort of communication was happening, but its exact nature was unclear to me. The trees…they were calling to me, urging me closer. There was a hum in the air, a vibration all around that peeked my curiosity. I could almost hear a whisper when the wind slithered through the trees below.  
Come to me…land…we need you…  
I vaguely heard someone talking behind me but I was so hypnotized I couldn't break myself away as my gaze stayed locked on the trees.  
"Odette!" Alana shouted right next to me and I flinched in surprise. "Why are we going down?"  
"What?" I wiped my forehead with my left hand, confused. "I didn't even notice."  
I realized that we were descending at a steady rate.  
"Are you noticing now?" Alana said, sarcastic as ever.  
Kole came up from behind, giving me a concerned look. "was something wrong?"  
I looked down at the swamp with a slightly fierce expression, trying to figure out what was going on. "I know this was gonna sound weird, but... I think the swamp was... calling to me."  
Alana held her stomach. "It was telling ya where we can get something to eat?"  
"No, I... I think it wanted us to land there."  
Alana shook her head. "No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on."  
I still felt a pull. "I don't know... Bumi said to learn earthbending I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the earth. Do you want me to ignore it?"  
Emrys continued to descend. Kole, Alana and Fang peered over the saddle to look as we got closer to the swamp.  
"Yes!" Alana said, a flash of fear in her eyes.  
Kole even seemed uneasy. "I don't know... There's something ominous about that place."  
Fang whined and hid under a blanket in the saddle. Emrys's shook her head from side to side slightly as she snarled lightly.  
Alana gestured to her. "See Even Emrys and Fang don't like it here."  
I sighed, feeling like I was made a mistake. "Okay, since everyone feels so strongly about this... bye swamp."  
"Yip! Yip!" I said as I shook the reins and Emrys growled again and flew up as she accelerated.  
As we began to recede, however, a huge noise sounded heard from behind us.  
Alana spoke up, her voice thick with alarm and fear. "You better throw in an extra "yip"! We gotta move!"  
I turned around and my eyes flew wide with shock. A large tornado was coming right at us and it moved at a terrifying speed, tearing up the swamp as it went.  
Emrys tried desperately to evade the tornado as I manipulated the reigns furiously. The tornado was right on top of us, however, and we were unable to distance ourselves. As the whirlwind bore down on us, Alana was blown off the saddle.  
Kole caught her arm and held onto her. As Alana screamed, I jumped out of the driver's seat and onto the saddle. I instantly created an air bubble around us and Emrys, just as we were sucked into the tornado.  
Alana fell back into the saddle as I struggled to keep out the whirlwind. I failed as one of Emrys's toes began to stick out of my protective air blister. My barrier collapsed and we were engulfed in the tornado, which threw us out in all different directions.  
Emrys was ejected deep into the swamp, knocking down much in her path as witnessed by the dust and dirt cloud that erupted over the swamp canopy. Inside the swamp Kole and Alana dropped from the sky and into the muddy water.  
It was dark and eerily dim in here, even though it was still daytime. The swamp canopy screened out most of the sunlight. A second after they landed, I dropped down beside them, using my airbending to cushion my fall. Alana got up, rubbing her head and made pained sounds. We looked around us and I noticed two members of our group were missing.  
"Where's Emrys and Fang?" I asked, looking around worriedly.  
I airbended myself through the trees and emerged at the top of the tree canopy. I scanned around, but saw nothing.  
"Emrys! Fang!" I called, my effort fruitless. I frowned and dropped back down.  
Back down below, Alana and Kole were walking through the swamp. A crocodile like monster sat in the water some distance away.  
Kole suddenly pointed at Alana, his blue eyes wide. "Alana! You've got an elbow leech!"  
"Where! Where!" she cried, freaking out.  
After she stopped moving, it was clear the leech was hanging from her elbow. Kole crossed his arms and looked coolly at his sister.  
"Where do you think?" he asked.  
Alana angrily ripped off the leech and threw it near Kole. "Why do things keep attaching to me!"  
Kole looked angrily at his sister for a moment before he turned to me, concerned.  
"You couldn't find them?"  
I shook my head. "No... and the tornado... it just disappeared."  
Kole and Alana turned around to look behind us into the dark depths of the swamp.

Kole:

The swamp was completely covered in vines and weeds. Alana's machete cut through them cleanly, Odette and I close behind her.  
"We better speed things up!" she said as she hacked her way through.  
Odette watched her, her grey eyes concerned. "Maybe... we should be a little nicer to the swamp."  
Alana ignored her and continued to chop through the vines. "Odette, these are just plants! Do you want me to say "please" and "thank you" as I swing my machete back and forth?"  
"Maybe you should listen to Odette," I said, also feeling a small prick of worry as I glanced around at the dark swamp. "Something about this place feels... Alive."  
Alana turned to me, slightly annoyed and gesturing with her machete. "I'm sure there are lots of things that are alive here, and if we don't wanna wind up getting eaten by them, we need to find Emrys as fast as we can."  
She began cutting a path with her machete once again.  
We continued walking through the swamp for the rest of the day. Hours later, we were walking up a large fallen tree, the water beneath us. It was hard to tell, but it looked like night had finally fallen.  
"Emrys! Fang!" I tried calling out again, hoping to get a response this time.  
As usual, nothing replied.  
"There's no way they can hear us and no way we can see them. We'll have to make camp for the night," my sister said. She was exhausted from hacking through vines all day. Her hair was disheveled and beads of sweat trickled down her dirtied skin.  
Alana was suddenly surrounded by about a dozen swamp flew which she flailed at with her arms and machete. They went away just as a huge bubble of swamp gas burped from the muddy water beneath us. The gas rose up to us and Odette flinched.  
"What was that!" I asked, starting to feel the first trembles of fear start to slink through me.  
"Nothing. Just swamp gas." Alana said as the gas began to swirl about us. "Look, there's nothing supernatural going on here."  
As the gas reached our noses we all gagged at the smell. "Ugh!"  
Our disgust was suddenly interrupted by a terrifying scream. We stopped in mid retch and grabbed each other with bugged out eyes, trembling in fear.  
Alana gulped. "I think we should build a fire…"  
She ran over to a nearby tree or vine root and started hacking it with her machete. Odette and I walked over, the girl next to me very unhappy.  
"Alana, the longer we're here the more I think you shouldn't be doing that," she said.  
Alana looked at her, slightly sarcastically.  
"No, I asked the swamp. It said this was fine." She turned to address a nearby root. "Right, swamp?" She grabbed the root and began to shake as she faked a reply in a funny voice. "'No problem, Alana!'"  
She then chopped the top of the root off with her machete. Odette was very displeased and I just looked at her, disconcerted.  
As we waited for Alana to finished up with the wood, Odette and I sat on a ledge created by the root system of a large tree. When the fire was built, all huddled together around it, trying to block out the small chill that was sweeping through the trees.  
Uneasy, I looked around out of the camp, feeling like eyes were boring into my back. The hairs of the back of my next and arms stood up and I felt a small shiver pass through me that was not from the cold. I turned back to address the others, a slightly creeped out.  
"Does anyone else get the feeling that we're being watched?" I asked.  
"Please, we're all alone out here," my sister replied in a slightly annoyed tone. A few flew continued to buzz around her, but not us.  
She started swatting at the fly with her machete and missed. Suddenly the fly turned into a ball of incandescent light. We shielded our eyes from the light and after a moment it flew away. We turned to see where it went and as soon as I did I really wished I hadn't. Behind us in the swamp, many sinister, glowing eyes looked down on us.  
"...except for them," Odette said, her eye wide in fright.  
We turned back with frightened faces as the eyes disappeared behind us. We grabbed each other in a group hug.  
"Right, except for them," Alana agreed, finally terrified.

Odette:

We fell asleep a few hours after the fire had been built.  
I had only been asleep for a few minutes when I felt something winding up and around my leg. I snapped awake and my eyes flew wide open. Just when I was about to sit up in alarm, something simultaneously yanked my friends and I away from each other and into the darkness.  
I was dragged off into the mist that clung and swirled all around me. I couldn't see anything and my heart hammered in my chest with fear.  
I managed to free myself by creating an air bubble around me and expanding it. My bonds loosened and I collapsed the bubble and hopped into the surrounding trees, closely pursued by vines. I escaped a vine that pulled me to the ground using my airbending to propel myself far away. I soon found myself alone in the swamp.  
Breathing hard, I brushed away long strands of hair that were sticking to my face and began looking around for my friends.  
"Guys?" I called out nervously.  
This was just fantastic.

Kole:

I walked through an area where the tree roots were covered in white flowers.  
After I had been drug off, I had immediately started looking off Odette and my sister, worried out of my mind for both of them. It was daylight now, and I still had seen no sign of them.  
"Odette? Alana?" I called. The fog was so thick it was nearly impossible to make out anything. I shoved my way through some vines and came out into a small clearing of swamp water. The sun filtered down her a little more in than in other areas but it was still fairly dark.  
Ahead of me was what looked like a water tribe woman. She wore the same robe as Alana and had the same hair style. I began walking toward the figure, not sure of what was going on.  
"Hello? Hello? Can you help me?" I asked. I squinted at the woman's back, recognizing certain features. It took me a moment, but I suddenly figured it out and my mouth fell open in complete shock.  
"Mom?" It couldn't be!  
When she didn't turn around, I spoke more loudly and ran towards the figure. "Mom!"  
I had missed her so much…as I ran my eyes started streaming with tears of joy. I reached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"I can't believe…"  
My smile dropped from my face as the sun suddenly shone a little brighter and more light shined down. I stood in front of nothing but an old tree stump. The figure had been an illusion.  
I gasped at the realization, then fell to my knees and began to cry, devastated.

Alana:

I held my machete high as I made my way through the swamp.  
"Odette!" I yelled as I cut a path in the vines before me with my weapon. "Stupid swamp! Dumb, ugly vines! Kole!"  
I turned to another vine in my way and glared furiously at it. "You think you're so tough, huh?"  
I swung, missed, got caught up in some more vines, and fell flat on my face in the mud. I looked up and saw a ghostly figure hovering some distance away from me.  
What the?  
"Hello?" I asked, walking forward. I stopped short though as I suddenly recognized the figure.  
Floating in a shaft of light was the spirit form of Prince Falcon.  
"Falcon?"  
I grabbed the side of my head and looked away. I must have hit my head on something hard.  
"This was just a trick of the light... swamp gas…" I said as I turned around, my back to the ghost. "I... hit my head running away last night. I'm going crazy."  
I turned around, still frightened. He was still there and I hesitantly walked over to him.  
"You didn't protect me," he suddenly said. His voice sounded as if it were far away, echoing.  
I rubbed my eyes and suddenly the shaft of light was empty. Feeling my heart beat painfully in my chest, I turned to walk away…  
…and Falcon was right behind me.  
I yelled in fright and fell backwards into the water. I looked around once more, and he was gone.  
I stood, drew my machete, and walked off, a frown on my face.

Odette:

As I continued walking through the swamp, I looked for my two missing pets and my friends.  
"Kole! Emrys!" I yelled.  
Above me, on a stone or earthen mound, I spotted two figures in white.  
"Hello?" I called, curious.  
I peered closer at the two and the one on the left was a pig with wings. The one on the right was a girl in a white robe.  
"Who are you?" I asked.  
The girl covered her mouth with her hands and laughed. The pig flapped its wings and raised itself into the air. The pig flew off and the girl ran down the opposite side of the mound.  
"Hey, come back!"  
I pursued the girl through the swamp for at least several minutes. She seemed to be many placed at once, able to move at lightning speed, or both. All I knew was that I could not reach her.  
After a few more minutes of useless chasing, I spied her on top of another mound.  
"Who are you?" I asked, starting to get annoyed.  
I ran up the mound and charged her. She turned, but it was not the girl in white, it was Kole.  
I realized too late that it was him and ran right into him and knocked him off the mound. He cried out in surprise as we went down. We rolled across the ground and knocked Alana down as well. We all landed in a pile at the bottom of another tree root.  
Alana got up, angry. "What do you guys think you're doing! I've been looking all over for you!"  
Kole looked at her, displeased with her attitude. "Well, I've been wandering around looking for you!"  
I was still confused by everything that had just happened. "I was chasing some girl."  
"What girl?" Kole asked.  
He stood and walked over, helping me to my feet. "I don't know. I heard laughing and I saw some girl in a fancy dress."  
"Well, there must be a tea party here and we just didn't get our invitations!" Alana snapped sarcastically.  
"I thought I saw Mom," Kole said after a pause, looking down.  
Alana stared at him for a moment, speechless, before she looked down as well. "Look, we were all just scared and hungry and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out here."  
Kole stiffened. "You saw something too?"  
Alana turned away. "I thought I saw Falcon. But, that doesn't prove anything. Look, I think about him all the time, and you saw Mom, someone you miss a lot."  
"What about me? I didn't know the girl I saw. And all our visions led us right here," I said, scanning around as if looking for something.  
"Okay... so where's here?" Kole asked me, gesturing in front of us. "The middle of the swamp?"  
"Yeah, the center…"  
I realized we were stood at the base of the largest tree imaginable.  
"It's the heart of the swamp, it's been calling us here." I smiled. "I knew it."  
"It's just a tree. It can't call anyone! For the last time, there's nothing after us and there's nothing magical happening here," Alana snapped, frustrated.  
At that moment a huge swamp monster, seemingly made of vines, burst from the water behind the log. It had a very simple, carved wooden mask on its face. Alana jumped and spun around, the three of us hugging each other and screaming our heads off in terror.  
The vine monster swung at me and we broke up and ran in different directions.  
The monster grabbed Alana as she ran away and began flailing her around. I spun and knocked Alana out of the monster's grip with a blast of air and she fell into the water with a yell. The monster then knocked me way back with a sweep of its arm.  
Alana started to cut the vines around her with her machete. To her right, the vines started rising out of the water, attaching themselves to the monster and rebuilding the right arm that I had damaged with my blast of air when I'd released Alana. The monster swung at her and grabbed her again.  
Kole skated across the water in a graceful curve and fired a Detra of water through the creatures left shoulder. The creature dropped Alana, a large hole in its left shoulder. Kole squared off against the creature as it filled the hole with more vines. He skirted around the monster as it swung a few times and missed. He sprayed some water at it and then concentrated, building a large wave and washing the creature backwards. Alana screamed, as she was once again in the monster's clutches.  
Kole then parted the water between him and the monster. He ran down the dry earth in front of him, but the creature knocked him backward with vines that grew right out from its body.  
I recovered and ran back to the fight. Kole sailed the other way behind me, yelling as he went. I turned back just in time to get smacked backwards by another vine appendage, this time getting the wind knocked out of me.  
The monster still had Alana in its grip. It placed her on its chest and began to suck her in. Alana struggled, but was slowly drawn in and she began screaming in panic. The monster flailed about as she still struggled in the monster's chest.  
I approached rapidly across the water, seated on an air ball. I rode the air ball up the monsters torso and back as the monster swung at me and missed. I landed atop its head and began to make a whirlwind around the monster. The whirlwind twisted the vines that composed the monster into a huge coil.  
Kole made a few waterbending motions then blew a breath out that froze the water vapor in front of him. His breath had frozen the vines around Alana and he raised a column of water behind him that propels him and his sister through the chest of the monster and into the water behind. The monster repaired the hole in its chest and began to advance on the pair.  
I jumped through the air and landed on the monster's back. I jumped back onto the ground and the monster blasted me out of the way again. I went flying through the air and landed back in the water.  
Kole turned back to the monster, an expression of determination on his face. He began to rapidly fire loops of water at the monster as it approached. The loops got larger the farther they got from Kole. When they struck the monster, the sound resembled that of a cutting knife as they sliced the vines apart. Kole continued to rapid fire and the monster began to disintegrate, revealing small glimpsed of a man inside.  
Alana's eyes flew wide in anger. "There's someone in there! He's bending the vines!"  
Kole twirled around in a bending move and sliced the mask and the head of the monster with a mighty lash of the water whip. The head and mask fell into the water as a bunch of vines grabbed Kole. Alana watched as I flew back into battle and with a single blast of air blew away the rest of the monster to reveal a fat, leaf clad man with a bushy graying beard and hair.  
"Why did you call me here if you just wanted to kill us?" I yelled at him, enraged.  
The man dropped the rest of the vines around him. "Wait! I didn't call you here."  
I glared at him. "We were flying over and I heard something calling to me, telling me to land."  
Alana nodded. "She's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us - a lot."  
the man's eyes grew wide in surprise. "The Avatar! Come with me."  
hesitantly, we dropped our combat stances and then followed him. He led us to the canopy above the swamp. We were climbing the exposed roots of the great tree at the center of the swamp to get there. It was daylight and it was blinding to be in the sun again after the cool darkness.  
"So, who are you then?" Kole asked, suspicious.  
The man bended a vine out of our way as he answered.  
"I protect the swamp from folks that want to hurt it." He let Kole and I pass, and then to turned to Alana as she in turn passed. "Like this girl with her big knife."  
"See? Completely reasonable. Not a monster," she said smugly. She sheathed her machete as she followed us. "Just a regular guy defending his home. Nothing mystical about it."  
"Oh, the swamp was a mystical place, all right. It's sacred," the man said and her smile dropped.  
He walked over to a space between the roots of the tree at its base.  
"I reached enlightenment right here under the banion grove tree," he said as he sat. "I hear it callin' me, just like you did."  
Alana snorted. "Sure ya did. It seems real chatty."  
The man ignored her. "See, this whole swamp was actually just one tree spread out over miles…Branches spread and sink and take root and then spread some more - one big living organism, just like the entire world."  
I nodded, understood for the most part. "I get how the tree was one big thing, but, the whole world?"  
"Sure. You think you're any different from me? Or your friends? Or this tree? If you listen hard enough you can hear every living thing breathing together, you can feel everything growing. We're all livin' together, even if most folks don't act like it. We all have the same roots, and we are all branches of the same tree," he said and I smiled softly.  
He was very wise…and very right.  
"But what did our visions mean?" Kole asked.  
The man shrugged. "In the swamp we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved...folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to'em. Time was an illusion, and so was death."  
I was really confused with the vision thing now. "But what about my vision It was someone I had never met."  
The man smiled. "You're the Avatar. You tell me."  
I tried to puzzle this out. "Time was an illusion... so, it's...someone I will meet?  
The man just smiled again and winked at me.  
Alana stood up and addressed us. "Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still need to Emrys and Fang."  
"I think I know how to find them." I leaned forward and placed my hand on the tree root. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. "Everything is connected."  
The thin arrow tattoo on my hand began to glow. Lighting or some other energy suddenly surged from my hand and into the tree root. The energy followed a zigzag path down the tree root and then through the swamp.  
I saw a vision of vines rushing by. The vision flashed white, and then I saw a blurry image of Emrys getting netted by boatmen. Emrys roared and struggled, but was clearly on her way to being subdued. The flashback ends and I stood up.  
"Come on! We've got to hurry!"

Kole:

When we reached the boatmen, Fang was struggling in a bag on a boat in front of one of the men, Emrys caught in a net being towed behind them. They were barely clothed, one tall and skinny, and the other was short and fat. Both wore small, animal skin loincloths and each had a single, large leaf on his head that served as a hat.  
The tall and skinny one was singing a very off key song and playing to a banjo. "Caught ten fish and I killed'em dead! Cut'em and gut'em and I tossed the heads in the water to keep them cat gators dead."  
When we got close enough, I released a Detra of water that erupted beyond the boats and destroyed the one farthest from me. Odette appeared on the tree branch above Emrys.  
"Emrys!" she cried happily as she unleashed a blast of air that knocked the fat man off the boat. He dropped the bag with Fang as he flew off and Fang got out and swam away.  
"We're under attack!" the skinny man yelled.  
He waterbended a wall of water up at Odette and I which we bended away from us. I bended back and forth as I manipulated the water, realizing that they were mimicking my movements.  
"Hey, you guys are waterbenders!" I said, surprised.  
We let our water fall at the same time as we regarded each other.  
"You too? That means we're kin!" the skinny man said, gesturing to his bare chest.  
I smiled weakly at him, vaguely horrified.  
Alana and the man we'd met earlier ran up the tree branch to Odette and I.  
The skinny man put his hands on his hips and smiled. "Hey, Hue! How you been?"  
Hue smiled sheepishly. "You know, scared some folks, swung some vines, the usual."  
"Hue?" Alana asked as we all looked at him with surprised expressions.

Odette:

Later that night, we sat around a comfy campfire with the swamp men. Emrys was with us, freed and happily snoozing. We were all eating meat off shish-kabobs hungrily.  
"How you like that possum chicken?" the skinny man, Due asked.  
Hue and Tho - the fat man - looked at Kole and Alana across the campfire. A catfish crocodile sat just behind Hue and Tho, it's eyes closed peacefully.  
Alana examined her kabob. "Tastes just like arctic hen. So why were you guys so interested in eating Emrys?" She pointed at the catfish crocodile. "You've got plenty of those big things wandering around."  
"You want me to eat old Slim? He's like a member of the family!" Due said incredulously.  
Due took a fish off his kabob and tossed it at Slim, who ate it in one bite.  
Alana smiled. "Nice Slim!"  
She threw a piece of roasted insect at Slim, but it bounced off his mouth. Slim turned and growled menacingly at Alana, who recoiled in terror.  
Due laughed. "Oh, he don't eat no bugs! That's people food."  
Tho turned to the siblings. "Where d'you say you're from?"  
"The South Pole," Kole said, picking at his food.  
Tho nodded. "Didn't know there was waterbenders anywhere but here. They got a nice swamp there, do they?"  
Kole smiled slightly. "No, it' all ice and snow."  
Tho and Due looked surprised.  
"Hmm. No wonder you left," Tho said, giving them weird looked.  
Alana rolled her eyes and turned to her brother and spoke in a slightly sanctimonious tone. "Well, I hope you realize now that nothing strange was going on here. Just a bunch of greasy people living in a swamp."  
Kole shook his head. "What about the visions?"  
"I told you, we were hungry. I'm eating a giant bug!" She lifted up what appears to be a huge fruit fly, fully the size of a grown cat, and took a huge bite out of it and swallowed.  
I laughed from where I was seated in front of Emrys with Fang in my lap. Hue was seated next to me, eating.  
"But what about when the tree showed me where Emrys and Fang were?" I asked Alana, smirking.  
"That's Avatar stuff, that doesn't count," she said before speaking to Hue. "The only thing I can't figure out was how you made that tornado that sucked us down."  
Hue gave her a confused look. "I can't do anything like that. I just bender the water in the plants."  
Alana tried to sweep the issue under the carpet. "Well, no accounting for weather. Still, there's absolutely nothing mysterious about the swamp."

Ren:

Under a full moon, I moved a silently as a ghost as the Broadsword Man who had humiliated Uncle and I earlier walked down a street alone. I made a noise just loud enough for him to hear and he turned and drew his blades.  
His eyes darted from side to side as he looked around, seeing nothing. "Who's there?"  
Sneaking up behind him, I reached forward and swiftly grabbed each of his hands. I disarmed him and roughly threw him against some nearby boxes, his swords useless on the ground. I picked them up and grinned nastily down at him from behind my mask of the Blue Spirit.


	5. Chapter 5: Avatar Day

Odette:

I woke early one morning to a bright day. After leaving the swamp we had made camp on a pretty cliff that overlooked a shoreline. The shore was largely composed of cliffs that dropped shear into the sea. The tops of the cliffs where we were, were forested and grass covered.  
I stayed still from my sleeping place on Emrys. Emrys, Kole and Alana were still asleep. The water tribe siblings each slept atop a large tree stump. Alana breathed heavily with her mouth hanging wide open. A spider had built a web in her open mouth overnight and sat patiently at its center.  
Fang's wandered over and noticed the web. His ears stood straight up on his head and he whined as he saw the spider. He blinked and stood up on his hind legs, beginning to lean forward toward Alana, who was drooling out of the side of her mouth. A fly landed on the web and the spider moved to get the fly.  
Fang opened his mouth and shoved his tongue it into Alana's mouth, lapping up the spider and fly. Alana's eyes bugged out and she slapped the wolf away, gagging and spiting.  
"What are you doing in my mouth!" she yelled, still gagging and spitting.  
Fang ate the bugs, lying upside down on her chest.  
"Fang, you need to be a little more sensitive to my boundaries," she said, still irritated.  
As Alana spoke, Fang heard something that wasn't Alana. He flipped upright, barked and jumped on Alana's face and ran toward Emrys.  
A galloping sounds thundered closer as I sat up in horror. A Fire Nation war rhinoceros jumped into the camp and landed with a ponderous "thud." Atop the beast a Fire Nation soldier rode. Kole, sat up in fright, halfway out of his sleeping bag. He gasped as another rhino emerged from the brush.  
A muscular, cruel looking soldier was atop one of the rhinos. He wore a nose ring and a short sleeve uniform.  
"Give up! You're completely surrounded!" he yelled in a gruff voice.  
As he spoke, four rhinos circled Emrys and our now wide awake group. A long haired Fire Nation archer with three flaming arrows on his bow aimed at us and fired them. Alana, still in her sleeping bag, moved in earthworm type fashion. The three arrows pinned the end of the sleeping bag to ground and Alana freed herself and ran.  
"Come on, come on, come on!" Alana yelled as I jumped into the drivers seat.  
Kole's eyes widened suddenly and he stopped. He turned to look at the tree stump behind him as a rhino passed by.  
"My scrolls!"  
The rhino stopped at the stump and its rider twirled a halberd and then planted it into the stump. I leaned forward with a look of alarm on my face as I remembered I had forgotten something as well.  
"My staff!"  
My face twisting in anger, I jumped and airbended myself off Emrys.  
A determined Kole was running for his scrolls. He opened his water skin as he ran and bended a Detra of water towards the tree stump. The water hardened to ice around the soldier's halberd as Kole scooped up the box of scrolls on the stump and ran away again, the box hugged to his chest. As he ran, the soldier broke the ice and retrieved his weapon.  
A Fire Nation cavalryman at the bottom launched a chain with weights at its end up at a tree. The chain, anchored by the weights, wrapped around the tree trunk and the cavalryman directed his rhino to move away from the tree. The chain went taught and the tree was brought down with a huge crash. The tree fell in my way, but I airbended lightly over it.  
A masked Fire Nation soldier snapped his fingers, removing a cap from a dynamite like stick, one of many, on his belt. Removing the cap seemingly lit a wick. He threw the device at me and I arrived at my staff as the bomb dropped into next to me. With a grimace and twirl of my staff I batted it deeper into the forest.  
I airbended into the sky and it exploded in the trees.  
By the time I got back, Emrys was surrounded by the four rhinos once more.  
"Yip, yip!" I ordered as I landed.  
With a shake of her head, Emrys took off. The man with the nose ring fired a blast of flame at Emrys's retreating form. Kole, Alana and Fang ducked in the saddle as the fireball passed overhead.  
Alana suddenly gasped, her eyes wide. "Wait, my boomerang!"  
Alana's boomerang was still on the ground below.  
Kole shook his head. "There's no time!"  
Alana was outraged. "Oh, I see. There's time to get your scrolls and time to get your staff, but no time for my boomerang?"  
"That's correct!" he replied cheerfully.  
"Oh," she said, resigned.

Kole:

When we landed, we were at a walled town that lied nearby. A trail lead to it out of the forest. On the other side the town abutted a cliff that looked over the ocean. Emrys had landed in a forest clearing near the trail that lead to town, a small building was also nearby us.  
"Sorry about your boomerang, Alana," Odette said.  
I felt a twinge of guilt. We should have let her get her boomerang…she was so depressed without it.  
As Odette spoke, I was busy talking to a vendor in a stall. Alana was sitting on the ground, mourning the loss of her boomerang. Odette wore a coolie hat to hide her tattoo.  
"I feel like I've lost part of my identity. Imagine if you lost your arrow, or if Kole lost his...wolf tail," my sister said sadly.  
Alana walked over to the stall, where I hugged her tightly, trying to make her feel better. The merchant put a basket of food on the counter for us.  
"Here's your produce, pretty girl," he said.  
Alana picked up the basket, then, dejected, turned to us. "I used to be boomerang girl…"  
I sighed as I paid the nice merchant.  
He was surprised. "Hey, Water Tribe money."  
"I hope that's okay."  
"So long as it's money," he said and closed shop and began to walk away. "Have a nice Avatar Day!"  
Odette's head snapped up. "Avatar Day?"  
The merchant turned around. "You guys are going to the festival, right?"  
Odette, Alana, and I looked at each other. Alana, who had been crying over her boomerang still looked distraught, but Odette and I smiled excitedly.

Odette:

We walked through the walled town with me practically bounding with excitement. Festival music played and filled the air with it's cheery tune. Green banners flew suspended on strings across the streets. We looked around in wonder, Alana carrying Fang in her arms.  
"There's a holiday for the Avatar. Who knew?" I said, delighted.  
Behind us a hug float of Avatar Kyoshi rolled by.  
"Look! They made a giant Kyoshi float," Kole said, amazed.  
To catch up with it, we ran to the main square.  
Alana, feeling better, pointed to the next float. "And here comes Avatar Koren."  
I nodded my approval. "Having a huge festival in your honor was great, but frankly, it's just nice to be appreciated."  
"And it's nice to appreciate their deep-fried festival food," Alana said and took a huge chomp out of a cake she was held.  
Kole tapped my shoulder to get my attention. "Odette, look!"  
A huge Odette float passed next.  
"That's the biggest me I've ever seen," I said, smiling.  
The three Avatars were now abreast of each other in the main square. A muscular and scantily clad young man ran into the square with a lit torch.  
"Now a torch; that's a nice prop. It's bright, dangerous…" she inhaled deeply "... smells manly. But I'm not sure I could carry it off."  
"Hey, what's that guy doing?" Kole asked, cocking his head to the side curiously.  
The torch man jumped through the bottom of the Kyoshi statue and lit it on fire.  
"Yaaaah!" he yelled as he lit Koren on fire as well.  
The crowd began chanting in unison. "Down with the Avatar! Down with the Avatar! Down with the Avatar!"  
Alana's mouth dropped open in surprise and food started falling out.

Ren:

I was in a town that rested on top of a hill. From my hiding place, I spotted a man and woman walking down a deserted street. He was carrying two baskets suspended by a pole across his back. Leaping down from the rooftop I was on, I landed in front of the couple, swords drawn and clad in my Blue Spirit disguise.  
I had no intention of hurting them…I was just here for their stuff.  
I cut the baskets away from the terrified man, scooped them up and ran.  
Luckily for me, Uncle and I had made our camp only a little ways outside the town, in a cave in the forest so I didn't have that far to go. Once I was almost there, I climbed over a log with my baskets of loot. I placed the mask in the hollow a tree along with my swords.  
I walked out from behind the tree and made for the cave with was only a little ways away. Uncle sat cross legged within the cave and I threw the baskets which landed in front of him.  
Uncle stared up at me, surprised. "Where did you get these?"  
"What does it matter where they came from?" I said as I walked away.  
Being a thief was turning our to be a lot better than being a beggar, and that was all I cared about.

Odette:

I stared in shock at the burning Avatar floats, feeling like I had been slapped in the face.  
"Down with the Avatar! Down with the Avatar!" they chanted, their words filling my every thought.  
The Mayor gave the torch man a signal, who threw his torch at the Odette float. It landed on her right eye and began to burn.  
Kole, a furious look on his face, suddenly took off running across the plaza. He jumped forward and waterbended the water from two nearby water caskets, putting out the burning floats.  
"Hey! That party-pooper's ruining Avatar Day!" someone yelled angrily.  
Irritated, I airbended myself to the left shoulder of my own float.  
"That party-pooper's my friend!" I yelled back.  
It was a risky move, but I took off my hat and threw it to the side, exposing my tattoo.  
"It's the Avatar herself!" the mayor gasped.  
"It's going to kill us with its awesome Avatar powers!" the man who yelled at Kole panicked.  
I calmly raised my hand in a non-threatening way. "No, I'm not, I…"  
The guy ran around, completely scared, and hurled himself into the crowd.  
"I suggest you leave. You're not welcome here, Avatar," the mayor said snootily.  
"Why not? Odette helps people," Kole said, still angry.  
"It's true." I airbended myself down to where Kole and the Mayor stood. "I'm on your side."  
"I find that hard to swallow considering what you did to us in your past life. It was Avatar Kyoshi; she murdered our glorious leader, Chin the Great," he accused.  
I gaped, horrified by the very thought. "You think that I... murdered someone…"  
"We used to be a great society before you killed our leader. Now look at us!" a hideous old man slurred.  
I couldn't stop myself from cringing in revulsion. "Huh!"  
Kole grew defensive as he pinned the mayor down with his eyes.  
"Odette would never do something like that. No Avatar would." He pointed an accusing finger at the crowd. "And it's not fair for you all to question her honor!"  
"Let's tell her what we think of the Avatar's 'honor.'" a spectator leered. He blew a raspberry and stuck his butt out at me. The crowd voiced its agreement noisily.  
"Give me a chance to clear my name," I called out to everyone in the audience.  
The mayor folded his arms. "The only way to prove your innocence was to stand trial."  
"I'll gladly stand trial," I said confidently.  
"You'll have to follow all our rules. That includes paying bail," he said.  
"No problem!" I said.

Kole:

I watched angrily as a stock closed around her neck. Odette was behind bars, her head and arms in a stock. Outside of her cell, I had my face buried in my hands and Alana leaned sullenly against a wall, Fang beside her.  
"How was I supposed to know they wouldn't take Water Tribe money?" Odette said, worry etched all over her face.

Odette:

My cell was an open air courtyard with a grated observation window into the jail building where Alana and Kole stood - it was better than being I a dusty old box that was for sure.  
"So some people don't like you. Big deal! There's a whole nation of firebenders who hate you. Now let's bust you out of here," Alana said.  
I sighed and shook my head. "I can't."  
"Sure you can! A little... swish, swish, swish! Airbending slice! ... and we're on our way," she said, upbeat. As she spoke, she flashed to the back of the room and used her arms to cut the air and then back to the front to shove her face at me for the "Airbending slice!"  
"I think what "Master Swish" was trying to say was that you're supposed to be out saving the world. You can't do that locked up in here," Kole said disdainfully.  
"I can't do that with people thinking I'm a murderer, either. I need you guys to help prove my innocence," I pleaded, begging them to understand. I didn't like people hating me…I needed to make sure they knew I would never hurt anyone and I was only here to help.  
"How're we gonna do that? The crime happened over three hundred years ago," Alana said.  
"That's okay, Alana. For some reason, I thought you were an expert detective," I replied shrewdly.  
Alana smiled to herself self-importantly. "Well, I guess I could be classified as such."  
Kole shook his head but played along. "Yeah! Back home she was famous for solving the mystery of the missing seal jerky."  
"Everyone wanted to blame it on a polar leopard, but I figured out that it was Old Man Jarco wearing polar leopard boots. See, a real eight hundred pound polar leopard would have left much deeper tracks. Okay, I guess I am pretty good," she bragged.  
During Alana's monologue, Kole held his hand to his head in a gesture of despair, while I made gestures, poking fun at her. Alana failed to notice either of us.  
"So you'll help me with my case?" I asked.  
Alan thought for a moment but caved. "Fine. But I'm gonna need some new props."

* * * *  
Kole:

After an hour, Alana finally came back with a few new accessories, one of them being a strange hat.  
"I'm ready," she announced.  
She extended a magnifying glass out of hat that rested in from of her right eye. I laughed at her until tears started streaming out of my eyes.  
Alana glared at me. "What?"  
She turned to me and extended the magnifying glass out a bit more and she hunched over to see my better.

Ren:

My new target was an armored wagon with a small trailer traveling through a forest alone. It was pulled by a horse ostrich. I had followed the wagon all the way from the town, using the trees for cover, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.  
Inside, there was a plump merchant who had a box filled with money in it. I leaped through the trees, using the branches to propel me forward, I swung down and kicked the driver off his seat, knocking him out before he even hit the ground. The wagon screeched to a stop and I jumped up onto the roof, pulling out my broadswords.  
I paused for a moment, letting my prey sweat for a moment before I stabbed my blades down and sliced them back and fourth. I leaned down and used my fist to smash a hole through the damaged roof. Below me, the sweating merchant looked up in alarm, clutching the closed and locked the cash box. He offered me the box with his eyes closed and I quickly grabbed it and leapt away. Before I disappeared into the woods, I slashed the horse ostrich's reins and stole him as well.

Kole:

On the sea side of the town, there was a small temple right on the cliff overlooking the water below. Behind the temple, between it and the city walls, the benches of an amphitheatre were cut into the hillside. Alana, the Mayor, and I all walked from the city to the temple to start our investigation.  
"This was the crime scene," the mayor said in his snooty voice.  
I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face and take Odette and go.  
Alana and I approach the temple with the Mayor. Alana looked through her magnifying glass for a moment, which made her eye look insanely huge. The Mayor stood right at the edge of the cliff and pointed to a small footprint at his feet.  
"This was the footprint of the killer, Kyoshi. It was at sunset three hundred and seventy years ago today that she emerged from the temple and struck down." He indicated a statue of a stern Earth Kingdom warrior made of pink marble near the temple. "Chin the Great. After that tragic day, we built this statue to immortalize our great leader. Feel free to appreciate it."  
Mayor Tong left the "crime scene" after that and I rolled my eyes in disgust.  
Alana walked around with a serious detective attitude that I found incredibly amusing.  
"This temple and this statue were cut from the same stone. And we know that the statue was built after Chin died," she said after a moment.  
"So if they were built at the same time, that means…" I started, getting all worked up.  
Alana interrupted angrily. "Shhh! I wanna solve it! That means Kyoshi never set foot in this temple."  
I nodded. "That's a big hole in the mayor's story, but it's not enough to prove Odette's innocence."  
Alana sighed. "You're right."  
She produced a water pipe out of nowhere, and proceeded to blow a few bubbles.  
"We need to go to Kyoshi Island."  
"Where'd you get that?" I asked, shaking my head.

Odette:

This seriously sucked.  
Still in the courtyard of the jail, I was bored out of my mind. Kole and Alana had been gone for hours and had left for Kyoshi island.  
I watched - still in my annoying stocks - as an elephant rat peeked out from behind a few pots. It sniffed with its long trunk, moved forward, and picked up an acorn. The elephant rat suddenly jumped away with a few squeaks.  
"You got a pretty face…" a dark voice said from out of the darkness and I jumped in surprise. I'd thought I had been alone…  
I looked down at the other end of the courtyard. There was a partial roof overhanging on that side, and the voice emanated from the dark area underneath.  
"...some nice tattoos…"  
He came forward. The prisoner was a tall, muscular, bald man with tattoos of his own. He ran forward at me with a cry of fury, but was restrained before he reached me by chains.  
"You're going to fit in real well around here," he said calmly.  
I cringed and smiled weakly.  
Snap.

Kole:

In the sky above the island, Emrys flew in steadily. The watchtower guards clanged a bell as we flew over.  
Emrys's shadow ran across Grant's house, who was out eating on his porch. He looked up with a smile when he saw us. Koko and another girl ran past him laughing.  
Emrys landed in front of the statue of Kyoshi and was surrounded immediately by townspeople. The Foaming Mouth Guy appeared and pushed through the crowd. He did what he was best at - foaming at the mouth before fainting.  
Koko looked at Alana and I and stomped her foot, annoyed. "Where's Odette?"  
"She couldn't be here, Koko," I said pleasantly.  
The entire crowd was disappointed. "Ohhh…"  
"I wanted to see Odette…" Koko whined.  
The Foaming Mouth Guy got back up and wiped the foam from his face, looking slightly embarrassed. He covered his head with part of his robe and slinked off in the town. The crowd dispersed, but Grant approached us.  
"Grant! Odette was in jail. The town of Chin says he murdered their leader in a past life,"  
Alana, looking ridiculous with her hat and pipe, jumped up. "They say it was Kyoshi."  
Grant was outraged. "Kyoshi? That's crazy talk! I'll take you to her shrine. Maybe something there will help you clear her name."  
The three of us walked up the path from the village to the shrine.  
"So, uh... what's Tarren up to? Is he around?" Alana said with feigned casualness.  
"Actually, he and the other warriors left to fight in the war. You kids had a big impact on Tarren. He said you inspired him and he wanted to help change the world," Grant said casually.  
"Oh, well... that's great," she replied a hint of sadness in her voice.  
We walked under a paifang gate and approached another temple overlooking the sea.  
"This temple was converted into a shrine to Kyoshi," Grant said.  
We entered the shrine and it was dark, and filled with Kyoshi's clothing and weapons.  
"The clerics tell us these relics are still connected to her spirit. That's her kimono," Grant said, pointing out different objects.  
I touched the kimono, the material feeling like flowing water beneath my fingers. "She had exquisite taste."  
"Please don't touch," Grant said quickly, his eyebrow twitching.  
Alana mused with an affected voice, "These fans... they were her weapons, no?"  
"Also refrain from touching the fans," Grant sighed warily.  
"These were her boots? Her feet must have been enormous!" I said, examining the huge pair of boots as Fang emerged from within one of them. He barked at me and I patted his head.  
Grant was full of pride. "The biggest of any Avatar."  
"Wait a minute... big feet?" I said with realization, thinking of the small footprint by the Chin temple. "Little footprints? There's no way!"  
"Ahem," Alana cleared her throat, interrupting me. "Special outfit, hat, and pipe These things mean anything to you?"  
"You're right. I'm sorry. Please," I replied with mock respect.  
"Aha! There's no way Kyoshi could have made that footprint and therefore there was nothing linking her to the crime scene!" she declared dramatically.  
I was unimpressed, having already come to this conclusion. "Brilliant, Alana."

Odette:

It was now sunset.  
In the courtyard, I was sitting cross legged in a circle with three other prisoners who I'd somehow managed to become fast friends with.  
"This guy you're talking about; he'll come around. You just gotta hang in there," one of the prisoners said encouragingly.  
I wasn't sure how, but we'd somehow gotten onto the subject of my incredibly pathetic love life and my ridiculous feelings for Ren.  
I easily got out of the stocks, and rested my elbows on top of it.  
"You think so?" I asked hopefully.  
They spoke all at once  
"Sure!  
"Yeah."  
"You're a catch."  
"I don't know…" I sighed uncertainly. I was pretty sure Ren hated me…but then there had been a few moments here and there where I'd thought different…ugh, this was all too confusing.  
"Hey! You're smart, incredibly beautiful, funny, not to mention you're the Avatar," one of the prisoners said with a smile.  
I smiled at them sweetly. "You guys are great."  
One of the prisoners was apparently very touched by my depressing situation. "Don't be afraid to tell him how you feel.  
He wiped a tear from his eyes and sniffled.

Kole:

I stood before a beautiful mural within the temple.  
"This piece was called 'The Birth of Kyoshi'," Grant explained as we continued to gather evidence. "It was painted at sunrise on the day this island was founded. Why, it was today, in fact, three hundred and seventy years ago."  
Alana spat out her pipe at the surprise information.  
"Three hundred and seventy years…Wait," she grabbed Grant by the lapels. "Are you sure it was today?"  
"Seeing how it's Kyoshi Day, yes," he replied in annoyance, throwing Alana backwards. "I'm sure."  
Alana studied the painting for a moment. "This ceremony didn't take place at sunrise; it took place at sunset. Look at the shadows."  
I nodded. "They point east. So the sun must have been in the west."  
Grant was lost. "So what?"  
Alana shoved me out of the way.  
"If Kyoshi was in the ceremony at sunset, she couldn't have been in Chin committing the crime." She pointed her pipe dramatically and the magnifying glass swung in front of her eye. "She has an alibi!"  
Irritated, I took her pipe and hit her over the head with it.

Odette:

That night, Alana and Kole returned to Chin for me. They stood next to me by my cell with they Mayor in front of them.  
Kole spoke formally and respectfully to Tong, something I could tell was hard for him to do. "Honorable mayor, we've prepared a solid defense for the Avatar. We did an investigation and found some very strong evidence."  
Alana leaned over to me and gave me a big smiley face, which I returned hopefully.  
Mayor Tong was surprised. "Evidence? Hmph! That's not how our court system works."  
I balked. "Then how can I prove my innocence?"  
Mayor Tong sneered. "Simple. I say what happened and then you say what happened and then I decide who's right."  
my friends and I gasped in unison, looking at him horrified.  
"That's why we call it justice. Because it's "just us." Hahaha!" The Mayor walked off laughing maniacally. I was so dead.

Kole:

The next morning, the entire town assembled in the amphitheatre. The statue of Chin and the temple behind it glimmered proudly in the sunrise. Mayor Tong was addressing the crowd that entirely populated the benches of the amphitheatre.  
"Everyone loved Chin the Great because he was so great. Then the Avatar," he pointed to Odette behind him, still in the stocks, "showed up and killed him! And that's how it happened."  
He walked off with a self satisfied smile. I clenched my fists in fury.  
A bailiff suddenly spoke out from somewhere, his voice a deep monotone. "The accused will now present its argument."  
Alana turned quietly to her. "You can do it, Odette. Just remember the evidence."  
She nodded uncertainly, swallowing dryly.  
"Right... evidence. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm about to tell you what really happened. And I will prove it with facts. Fact number one…" Odette blanked. "Uh…"  
Oh no.  
Alana quietly prompted her on. "The footprints!"  
"Oh, yeah…" She turned to the crowd. "You see, I have very large feet."  
The crowd looked unimpressed at her little feet.  
"Furthermore, your... temple matches your statue. But... I was in a painting at sunset," she said unimpressively. She wrapped it up fast with a big smile. "So there you have it! I'm not guilty!"  
The crowd continued to be unimpressed while Alana I both had big smiled on our faces, and Alana gave a "thumbs up" gesture.  
"She's dead," Alana said, both of us still smiling tightly.

Ren:

Both of us were still in our cave, a warm fire crackling nearby.  
"looked like you did some serious shopping," Uncle said as he walked around the fire and sat, inspecting a gold teapot in front of him. "But where did you get the money?"  
I avoided that particular question, knowing I would get frowned upon. "Do you like your new teapot?"  
"To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup." he walked over to me where I was lying with my back to the opposite wall of the cave.  
"I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by," he said and put his had on my shoulder. "But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There was a simple honor in poverty."  
I resisted the urge to snort in contempt. "There's no honor for me without the Avatar."  
"Ren…" he sighed. "Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now."  
"Then there was no hope at all," I said abruptly and turned to get up.  
"No, Ren! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts," he said quickly. "In the darkest times, hope was something you give yourself. That was the meaning of inner strength."  
I looked back at my uncle for a moment, knowing he was right, but then got up to leave. I walked away form the cave.

Kole:

"Mayor Tong, I'd like for the court to hear one last testimony," I said, praying our newest plan would work.  
Mayor Tong jumped up in anger. "I've already told you! It's just me and the accused. You can't call any witnesses."  
"This isn't just any witness. I'm going to call…" I gestured widely with my arms. "Avatar Kyoshi herself!"  
The crowd mumbled a lot, then the bailiff turned and exited to reveal Odette wearing Kyoshi's clothes, her face painted like her as well. I looked hopefully at a skeptical Mayor Tong as I sat back beside my sister.  
"What are you doing?" she whispered to me.  
I shrugged and lowered my voice as well. "Well, she was Odette's past life. Maybe wearing her stuff will trigger something."  
Alana adjusted her magnifying glass and accepted my reason. "I do believe in the power of stuff."  
Mayor Tong protested. "This was a mockery of Chin law!"  
"Please! If you could just wait one more second, I'm sure Kyoshi will be here," I pleaded.  
I stared at Odette, who was looking ridiculous in Kyoshi's huge outfit, one of her fans in front of her face.  
Odette spoke in an uncertain tone.  
"Hey, everybody." She dropped the fan slightly to reveal her painted face and her eyes blinked. "Avatar Kyoshi here."  
"This was ridiculous. For the murder of Chin the Great, this court finds the Avatar…" the Mayor started in.  
As Mayor Tong tried to finish, a whirlwind appeared around Odette, obscuring her from view. The sky darkened the town and the cliff it sat upon. The whirlwind around Odette suddenly dispersed to reveal Avatar Kyoshi herself, resplendent in her kimono.  
"I killed Chin the Conqueror," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "A horrible tyrant, Chin was expanding his army to all corners of the continent. When they came to the neck of the peninsula where we lived, he demanded our immediate surrender. I warned him that I would not sit passively and while he took our home, but he did not back down. On that day, we split from the mainland. I created Kyoshi Island so my people could be safe from invaders."  
She lowered her face, and was consumed again by the whirlwind. The artificial darkness got reeled back in by the wind. Soon, Odette was herself again, though drained. Concerned, I ran forward and held her up as she threatened to faint. She dropped one of Kyoshi's fans.  
"So... what just happened?" she asked, confused.  
"Uhh... you kind of confessed. Sorry," I said uncomfortably, bracing myself.  
Mayor Tong got up and brushed his self off. "And I find you guilty! Bring out the wheel of punishment!"  
As the crowd cheered, I took a protective stance in front of Odette.

Ren:

This was not going to be easy. I was going to hurt him this time, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. But it was something that just had to be done.  
I stood behind Uncle, whose back was to me, at our cave.  
I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and went for it. "Uncle, I thought a lot about what you said."  
Uncle turned his head towards me.  
"You did? Good, good," he said, pleased, and I mentally winced.  
I continued without malice, but also without hesitation. I knew in my heart that this was just something that I needed to do. "It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way."  
He looked down and slumped slightly in sadness. Outside the cave, I picked up a pack and began to walk away.  
"Wait!" he called and I froze.  
I wasn't sure if I could fight him to much if he started begging me. I loved my Uncle and owed him dearly…but I needed to find my own path, my own destiny. I needed to figure out what I was doing with my life.  
Uncle led over our stolen ostrich horse and placed the reigns in my hands. surprised and once again grateful, I looked back at my uncle once, then shook the reigns and galloped away. I wasn't too saddened by the departure…I had a feeling our paths would cross again in the near future anyway.

Odette:

Still in Kyoshi's garb, I stood before a wheel.  
The bailiff spoke out in his deep monotone. "The accused will now spin the wheel of punishment to determine his sentence."  
The wheel was divided into eight wedges. Each of the wedges had a symbol on it that indicated the punishments I might draw. Among them were getting boiled in oil, a torture machine, eaten by a bear, eaten by a shark, forced to lay on a bed of spikes, getting burned alive, falling into a pit of razors, and community service. On top was an indicator that determined the punishment when the wheel stopped spinning.  
I was shaking like a leaf and though I still had the opportunity to flee, I knew I needed to end this now.  
"I said I would face justice, so I will," I breathed.  
I spun the wheel.  
"Come on, torture machine!" someone shouted.  
"Eaten by bears!" and old man seconded.  
"Razor pit!"  
"Community service! Please stop on community service," Kole begged, worried.  
Just watch, I'm gonna get boiled or something, I thought sarcastically.  
The bailiff peered at the board when it stopped spinning. " looked like it's 'boiled in oil.'"  
Huh, what do ya know?  
The crowd cheered some more as I looked on, dejected.  
Suddenly, a lit firebomb flew into the amphitheater and bounced along the ground a few times before exploding. Alana and Kole shielded themselves from the blast, then looked up at the voice we all heard a moment later.  
It was the man with the nose ring who's attacked us before…  
"We've come to claim this village for the Fire Lord! Now show me your leader so I may...dethrone him," he said coldly, without remorse. He was on his rhino and two others mounted the top of the amphitheatre behind him. A soldier who used his halberd destroyed the statue of Chin the Conqueror in one smooth movement.  
"That's her over there!" a spectator shouted fearfully, pointing right at where I was hiding behind the wheel.  
Mayor Tong was cowering near me. "You! Avatar! Do something!"  
Oh now you want my help!  
"Gee, I'd love to help, but I'm supposed to be boiled in oil," I said calmly, studying my fingernails.  
Mayor Tong spun the wheel to the community service wedge and stopped it there. "There! "Community service." Now serve our community and get rid of those rhinos!"  
I smiled in excitement and ran forward. I jumped into the air, shedding most of Kyoshi's clothing except for her headdress. My target was a rhino who's rider readied his halberd.  
I leaned forward and extended my arms out behind me like a fighter Detra. Each hand held one of Kyoshi's fans, which I opened as I ran. I spun aside out of the rhino's way at the last moment and used the fan to airbend the rider out of his seat and off the side of the cliff.  
The Mayor peeped out over the wheel as a rhino bore down on him. He turned in horror and slid down the back of the wheel. His eyes bugged out as the creatures three horns bust through the wheel, one just above each shoulder and one between his legs.  
I spun and locked eyes briefly with the Colonel.  
"Rough Rhinos, to the town!" he ordered.  
The riders and their rhinos now set the town on fire with arrows and blasts of fire from their hands. The masked rider ran by a hay wagon and dropped three sticks of dynamite into it. The wagon exploded as another rhino rushed by.  
Another Fire Nation soldier, shirtless and screaming, threw a flail at Kole. He drew some water from his skin and used the water to bend the flail back against his attacker. He was bound and helpless by his own weapon. Kole then whipped the rhino with his water and it ran.  
Alana looked from behind a street corner at the Fire Nation archer. He lit two arrows ready to fire. Alana used reflected sun form her magnifying glass to distract him. The archer turned and fired the arrows. These missed Alana, but they did take her silly hat on the way toward hitting the side bag attached to the masked Fire Nation's soldier rhino who had just appeared behind Alana. The side bag contained four sticks of dynamite. Alana smiled and ducked.  
The masked man picked up the bag and threw it on the roof of a neighboring house. A moment later the house disappeared under the thunderous explosion. The fate of the masked man was unknown since the view of him was blocked by another building, but a moment later his helmet rolled by Alana who was still crouched on the ground. Another bag also landed next to her, her boomerang hanging out of it.  
"Boomerang! You do always come back!" she cried happily and I laughed.  
The archer had returned and aimed more arrows at Alana, who threw her water pipe. The pipe sailed through the air and engulfed both arrows in its maw - putting out their fires. The archer looked closely at the contraption in wonder.  
Kole faced off against another rider. He used his water whip to cut the saddle straps. The rider fell off and started getting dragged by his animal. Kole replaced the water into his skin.  
I started running across a t junction, still wearing Kyoshi's headdress and held her fans. I stopped in the middle of the junction and looked down the street. At the other end of the street, the Colonel and his rhino appeared. We looked at each other, and my body prickled with adrenaline. With a few quick movements, the Colonel produced a constant flame from both arms and began to charge at me at a gallop.  
I ran at him as well and jumped off the wall of the alley and propelled myself over the Colonel's head, using the fans and a blast of air to deflect the stream of fire. I dropped down on the other side of the street, having turned around in mid air. The acrobatics cost me the rest of Kyoshi's gear, which fell a few seconds apart from each other around me. I got back up and made an air scooter. I hopped on and ran down the street as the Colonel charged me again. I went under the Colonel's rhino, avoiding his fire and he in turn avoided my blast of air.  
The two of us had again reached opposite ends of the street. We faced each other again and ran at each other. I jumped into the air as I approached, sailed right through a blast of fire, and kicked the Colonel off the rhino with my feet. The Colonel landed with a crash as I passed through a wall.

Kole:

That night, a dazzling display of fireworks filled the sky, and confetti rained down on us.  
As Alana, Odette, and I faced the crowd in the plaza, the Mayor made a grand speech.  
"From now on, we'll celebrate a new Avatar Day in honor of the day Avatar Odette saved us from the Rough Rhino Invasion!"  
We were each handed a bowl of mushy dough like things. Alana looked down at hers in disgust.  
"What was this?" she asked, her nose wrinkling.  
I poked them and realized that they were cookies in the bowl, which looked like they were melting.  
"That's our new festival food: un-fried dough," he said excitedly and turned back to the crowd. "May we eat it and be reminded of how on this day the Avatar was not boiled in oil."  
The crowd cheered wildly as my friends and I looked at each other, uncertain. We each picked up a dough cookie. The cookies drooped in our fingers and stretched in unnatural ways.  
I smiled halfheartedly. "Happy Avatar Day, everyone."  
I ate it and almost spat it right back out. It was salty, doughy, and completely disgusting. Odette had one hanging out of her mouth, trying to choke it down.  
"This was by far the worst town we've ever been to," Alana groaned.


	6. Chapter 6: The Blind Bandit

Odette:

We started looking for my earthbending teacher in a village nestled on low hills. A few mountains rose in the distance.  
Our group was standing on a street corner at an open air shop, Alana held a green bag with a shoulder strap.  
"It's pricey, but I really do like it," she said. She'd been debating buying the bag for over ten minutes now and I could tell Kole was starting to lose his patience.  
Kole, with Fang at his side, looked at her with some concern. I sat on the floor, somewhat bored and unhappy with the entire situation.  
"Then you should get it. You deserve something nice," he said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.  
Alana turned to him with a smile. "I do, don't I?" She turned back with an exaggerated gesture. "But no. It's too expensive, I shouldn't."  
"Alright, then don't," Kole snapped.  
Fed up, he turned and walked away and I got up and followed him. Alana went last, looking wistfully back at the bag. It was only a few moments before she returned and stood behind the bag, her hands clasped in front of her.  
"You know what? I'm gonna get it," she announced and both Kole and I rolled our eyes.  
While Alana was busy, a man with a paper in his hand turned around and spoke to Kole and I.  
"Psst, psst. Hey, you kids like earthbending? You like throwing rocks? Then check out Master Neeko's Earthbending Academy," he said and handed me a flyer with a smile and left.  
Curious, I flipped it over to the other side.  
"Look, there's a coupon on the back. The first lesson was free," I said excitedly.  
"Who knows? This Master Neeko could be the earthbending teacher you've been looking for," Kole said, smiling.  
Alana came over just then, the green bag cradled in her arms.

Kole:

We walked through the streets for awhile more before we came to a stop at a dojo compound. The gate was a paifang with a large green sign with big letters written across it.  
Once inside, Odette was suited up in a dark green earthbender training uniform and a round helmet, looking confused.  
She was then directed to the end of a line of boys of which she was now a member of. The boys were younger and smaller than she was by a head. They stood resolute, looking forward. Odette stood up straight in imitation of them.  
On the left on the compound was a line of four boys with a stone in front of them. On the right was a line of four more boys - including Odette - without any stones. A man, Master Neeko, walked back and fourth, teaching the lesson..  
"Take your stances," he directed.  
The students except Odette assumed earthbending stances. The master walked between the two lines, not even noticing her.  
"Now, strike as if you're punching through your opponents head!" he snapped, striking a pose as he said this. The left line lifted their rocks and threw them at the line on the right.  
Odette looked alarmed as the boy across from her chucked the rock. The rock hit her square in the chest and knocked her backwards into a large ceramic pot behind her. The pot exploded in a cloud of dust and fragments and I jumped to my feet, worried.  
Odette struggled to sit up amidst the wreckage as Master Neeko approached her with a smile.  
"So, are you ready to commit to more lessons? If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt."  
Odette was still buried in the rubble. Her face was covered as more debris slid down over her and Alana sighed.  
"Come on," she said, stood up beside me. "There's no point in hanging around here. The lessons over. Let's wait for Odette outside."  
I shrugged and followed after her and leaned against the wall of the dojo. A few moments later, Odette excited the dojo through the paifang gate as well, all cleaned up and debris free.  
"He's not the one," she said in disappointment.  
She leaned over and patted one side of her head, ejecting bits of dirt from her ear. The last two boys exited the gate and I tuned into their conversation.  
"I think The Boulder was gonna win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6," one said.  
"He's gonna have to fight his way through the best earthbenders in the world to even get a shot at the champ," the other seconded.  
Odette apparently hear this too because she ran over to the boys. "Excuse me, but where was this earthbending tournament exactly?"  
The first boy smirked at her. "It's on the Island of Noneoya - none o' ya business!"  
Both laughed and walked away. Alana began to laugh as she and I walked up behind Odette. I glared at the boys backs, peeved at their treatment of her.  
"Ha, ha! Oh, I got to remember that one," she chuckled.  
Odette smiled and put her hand on my shoulder and left arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'll take care of this."  
Waving her hand in the air, she took off down the street and turned right into a side street where the two boys disappeared into.  
"Hey strong guys, wait up!" she called in a flirtatious voice and disappeared around the corner.  
Beside me, Alana suddenly held out her new bag in disdain.  
"What was I thinking? I don't need a new bag. Why'd you let me buy this?" she snapped and I sighed.  
Alana dropped the bag and folded her arms crossly. Fang, perched on Alana's foot, looked down at the bag and jumped inside and buried his self for a nap.  
"You ready to find an earthbending teacher? Because we're going to Earth Rumble 6!" Odette called happily as she came back.  
I balked. "How did you get them to tell you?"  
"Oh," she said and looked over her shoulder coyly. "A girl has her ways…"  
I wasn't sure what it was, but something about the look she cast behind her made me think those boys were frozen to a wall or something…

Odette:

The entrance to Earth Rumble 6 was located in the mountains. There was a line at least a mile long to get into the place and it took us an hour of stood around before we finally got inside. When we finally were able to pass through, we entered an underground stadium with a wide rectangular earthbending arena. The center of the arena was dominated by a large stone circle with a square punched out of its center. In the background on the lift was a tower atop which the master of the games announced the matches. Around the rest of the arena were the stood. There was an empty space all around the arena between it and the stood. The stood themselves were empty in the immediate vicinity as the three of us entered from the left of the stadium and sat down.  
"Hey, front row seats! I wonder why no one else was sitting here," I said, looking at the rest of the crowd who had filled up the stood staring from the very top. I got my answer.  
As soon as I finished my statement, a massive boulder came flying through the air and slammed into the seats to our right, showering us with dust and debris.  
Alana blew a piece of rock off her shoulder and looked a me in annoyance. "I guess that's why."  
A man earthbended a mighty explosion of rock and dirt at its center. A huge column of earth began to raise the man upwards. When it stopped moving, the man motioned and the column collapsed back to floor level. The man's face was strong, cruel, and mostly obscured by long, luxurious black hair.  
"Welcome to Earth Rumble 6! I am your host, Alex!" he called out in a booming mean voice.  
Alana and I looked at the arena with excited expressions while Fang sat between us and barked and wagged his tail. Kole, who was seated on my other side, had turned sideways and adopted a bored pose.  
"This was just gonna be a bunch of guys chuckin' rocks at each other, isn't it?" he said.  
"That's what I paid for," Alana replied hopefully, apparently not hearing Kole's disgusted tone.  
I shushed them and turned my attention back to Alex.  
"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring and you win."  
He earthbended his self back to the announcer's tower and continued. As he spoke, a muscular earthbender with a tattoo on his back rose his arms in a salute to the crowd and grinned confidently.  
"Round one! The Boulder versus The Big Bad Hippo!"  
The Boulder turned as a huge foot crashed onto the floor and turned to see a huge fat man. The Hippo opened his mouth to reveal four hippo like teeth as he roared.  
Boulder spoke in an exaggerated wrestler type voice as he faced his opponent.  
"Listen up, Hippo. You may be big, but you ain't bad!" He grinned insanely. "The Boulder's gonna win this in a landslide."  
The Hippo raised his arms high in the air. "Hippo mad!"  
The Boulder earthbended a boulder at the Hippo, who caught part of it in his mouth, crushed it and spat it out. The Hippo then began to jump up and down. His enormous bulk actually caused the arena to shake around. The Boulder wobbled backwards on the verge of losing his balance.  
"Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! The Hippo is rocking The Boulder!" Alex called dramatically.  
As The Boulder reached the edge of the arena, he earthbended a sheet of rock out of the side of the arena and threw it at his opponent. It hit the Hippo's back and he turned around to face the Boulder once more. The Boulder, with a tremendous effort, then earthbended the Hippo off the floor and threw him over the side of the arena.  
"The Boulder wins!"  
The Boulder raised his arms in victory as Kole turned to me questioningly.  
"How about The Boulder? He's got some good moved," he said, wincing slightly.  
"I don't know. Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles," I replied hesitantly. "What do you think, Alana?"  
She was so not listening to a word we said.  
"Ha ha! Whoo!" she screamed excitedly, her face twisted with excitement.  
"Next, The Boulder versus Fire Nation Man!" Alex announced as a Fire Nation Man waving the Fire Nation flag walked out, smiling.  
The crowd booed audibly as Fire Nation Man walked across a stone bridge to the arena floor waving his flag. The bridge crumbled behind him.  
Alana yelled at him with her thumbs down. "Boo! Boo!"  
Fire Nation Man held the flag upright and addressed the crowd. "Please to rose for Fire Nation national anthem."  
He dropped to his knees and began singing. "Fire Lord, my flame burns for thee!"  
The crowd booed and threw small stones at him immediately. I glanced over at Alana who had a stone cocked back in her hand, ready to throw.  
"Go back to the Fire Nation!" she screeched.  
She threw the stone, which hit Fire Nation Man on the head. His anger was cut short as he was twisted violently around and sank into the earthen floor of the arena. In a flash he was buried up to shoulders in the arena floor. He stared ahead at The Boulder, who raised himself up on a huge column of earth.  
Fire Nation Man looked petrified as he begged for him not to be hurt. "No. No please!"  
The Boulder atop of the column grinned and jumped off. He sailed downward with his legs bent at the knees so he could hold his feet with his hands. He hit the ground in front of Fire Nation Man, who was hurled high into the air and out of the arena on impact. A second later Fire Nation Man flew over and slammed into the rock that had landed near us earlier.  
Alana looked at Fire Nation Man's impact point.  
"Yeah! Whoo! The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt!" Alana looked insane and made taunting faces at him. "Yeah! Whoo!"  
As Alana continued to scream, a guy driving a badger mole crossed the arena. The badger mole used his claws and earthbending powers to act as a zamboni, clearing up the arena for the next fight. Carnival type music plays in the background. An attractive woman in a white, sleeveless dress waltzed across the arena bearing a placard for the crowd to see.  
Several matches passed by in rapid succession. The Boulder defeated every contestant he faces. The first was a gopher type guy who tunneled under the ground and burst out in quick attacks. The next was a thin guy in a green mask who went shirtless. The third was a guy with a painted face. After the last was defeated, everyone focus up at the announcer's tower.  
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus your champion…"  
I stared hopefully at a short person with black hair mostly obscured by a green prize belt. When the person lowered the belt, I realized it was a young, pretty girl with milk white eyes. She wore a green cape and a simple, but attractive green and white earthbending uniform. On her head she had a black and green headband. Above her head, she held the green prize belt triumphantly.  
"The Blind Bandit!"  
The crowd chanted "bandit" as the two young women next to the Bandit removed her cape and took the belt.  
Kole was shocked. "She can't really be blind. It's just part of her character, right?"  
I watched her for a moment. Though she had a hair band, there was multiple strands of black hair that hung down in front of her face, covering her eyes slightly. They did not seem to bother her in the least.  
"I think she is," I said, amazed.  
"I think she is…" Alana paused before yelling, "going down!"  
The Boulder's foot crashed down as the Bandit stared blankly ahead, expressionless.  
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl," the Boulder said uncomfortably.  
The girl pointed at the Boulder and in a mocking tone taunted him. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder."  
He looked momentarily stung by that.  
"The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanche!" he yelled in a dramatic smashing gesture.  
The girl pointed again at her opponent. "Whenever you're ready...The Pebble."  
She threw her head back and laughed in a startlingly familiar voice. "Ha ha ha ha!"  
I remembered her laugh…the girl in white, and the flying boar. It was the same as the Bandit's!  
"It's on!" the Boulder screamed furiously. Despite his bravado though, he was sweating profusely.  
The Boulder yelled and took a step forward but the Bandit remained stood perfectly still. She moved forward and opened her arms as soon as she registered the movement of her opponent.  
I watched her feet as she moved forward to finish the set up for her attack. The Boulder moved forward as well, releasing a bellowing a battle cry. As his foot struck the ground again the Bandit had begun to swing her right foot in an arc towards the ground in font of her. She struck the ground and created a shock wave in the arena floor that churned up the ground and headed toward the Boulder in a straight line as if a gopher were tunneling toward the Boulder at great speed.  
I stared incredulously at the little girl - who had to be no more than twelve - my face turning to following the shock wave travel in front of me.  
The Boulder's foot met the shock wave just as he put it back on the ground. The shock wave made him drop down onto the ground in a perfect split.  
Fang squeaked and Alana's look of adulation and excitement turned to a look of pain. The Boulder looked up to the ceiling with a look of excruciating pain on his face.  
"Ooh!" he howled, gripping the ground.  
The Bandit made a chopping motion with her right hand. Three stalagmites erupted from the ground near The Boulder and ejected him from the ring. He slammed into the wall beneath the stood and slid down into the crevice between the arena and the stood.  
The Bandit's face softened into a crafty and satisfied smile as Alex spoke.  
"Your winner," he cried as the Bandit raised her right fist in victory. "And still the champion, The Blind Bandit!"  
"No!" Alana cried pitifully and slumped beside me.  
"How did she do that?" Kole asked incredulously.  
"She waited," I said quietly and turned to Kole. "And listened."  
I thought back to Bumi's words.  
"You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking…"  
It's her!  
Still stunned, I looked back to the announcer's tower as Alex jumped from it to the arena floor. He held a green bag in his left hand.  
"To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat The Blind Bandit!" Not one person moved and I knew this was probably my only chance. "What No one dares to face her?"  
"I will!" I announced as I jumped from the stood over to the arena in one quick moment.  
The crowd murmured its approval and I blushed slightly in embarrassment. I was sweating bullets in nervousness as I closed the distance between the Bandit and I. Alex jumped out of our way.  
Alana cupped her hands to her mouth. "Go Odette! Avenge The Boulder!"  
"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" the Bandit sneered at me and I brushed my hair out of my face calmly.  
The crowd went "ooooh" at this bit of taunting but I ignored them and put my hands up in a conciliatory gesture.  
"I don't really want to fight you. I want to talk to you," I said, hoping she wouldn't cause a scene.  
"Boo! No talking!" I heard Alana scream.  
I looked back and saw Alana smacking his sister. "Don't boo at her!"  
Hesitant, I took a step, and the Bandit smiled as soon as my foot hit the ground. She stomped the ground with the side of her left foot. A shock wave traveled across the ground and caused a large rock to grow out of the ground underneath me and I was launched into the air. I landed softly on the ground behind her. She turned around with an upset expression on her face and I realized that she sensed her opponents through movement.  
"Somebody's a little light on his feet. What's your fighting name, The Fancy Dancer?" she snapped.  
I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, amused. Another rock erupted from the ground and launched me into the air. Thinking fast, I somersaulted through the air, thinking of what I needed to do next.  
"Where'd you go?" the Bandit growled, her blind eyes narrowed.  
I landed behind her. "Please, wait!"  
"There you are!"  
She turned quickly, raised a boulder and threw it at me in a straight line like a bullet. The crowd cheered.  
As the rock approached me rapidly, I jumped into the air, turned and airbended the rock backwards. The Bandit and the rock were blown backwards and off the arena. Alex, The Boulder, and the Water Tribe siblings confirmed their collective shock when all their jaws practically hit the ground. I looked around in surprise as the crowd cheered.  
I hadn't meant to do that…it had been a total reflex.  
The Bandit walked away from the base of the arena as I ran over to a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs, I called after the former champion.  
"Please listen! I need an earthbending teacher, and I think it's supposed to be you," I called desperately.  
"Whoever you are, just leave me alone," she snapped back. She opened a door in the wall with a stomp of her foot. She entered, turned and closed the door with a motion of her hands.)  
"Wait!" I reached the wall too late.  
My earthbending teacher hated me. Awesome.  
Sadly, I returned to the arena where Alex was held the belt and the bag of gold, the crowd cheering behind them. Kole and Alana beat me there.  
Alana flung herself at the host and hugged him before taking the money and the belt. She put her arm around my shoulders as I came over, but I was still morose.  
"Way to go, champ!" she cheered.  
My head drooped in sadness.

Kole:

The next morning we returned to the village nestled amongst the mountains. Odette had somehow convinced herself that the Blind Bandit was supposed to be her earthbending teacher. I had to admit, the kid had been impressive and especially at such a young age. But it was also her young age that made me doubt her…also she'd seemed pretty hot headed to me and after last night I was pretty sure the Bandit never wanted to see Odette's face again…no pun intended.  
We'd decided to start our search back at the dojo where we'd heard of the Earth Rumble, hoping we could dig something up about the girl.  
As we walked through the streets, Alana was wearing both her new bag and the tournament belt.  
"I gotta admit, now I'm really glad I bought this bag. It matches the belt perfectly," she said excitedly.  
"That was a big relief," I replied sarcastically.  
Odette ignored us. "If we want to find The Blind Bandit, the Earthbending Academy was a good place to start."  
We entered the gate of Master Neeko's academy once again. The two boys Odette had confronted were punching dirt contained in two huge pots. They looked up as we entered.  
"Oh great, you again," one of them groaned.  
Odette, between Alana and I, looked forward and looked mean, her grey eyes glittering with malice. The two students flinched backwards in fright and I smiled at her approvingly.  
"Yeah, I didn't think so," she snapped, tossing her long dark brown hair over one shoulder.  
Alana nodded, surprised. "Nicely done."  
"Hey," the other boy said, walking towards Odette. "You're the kid who beat The Blind Bandit."  
She nodded. "We need to talk to her. Do you guys know where she lives?"  
"The Blind Bandit's a mystery. She shows up to fight, then disappears," the first boy said, eyeing Odette in a way that made me want to knock his head off.  
Odette looked disappointed at this and I put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Let me handle this." I pointing at the second guy and snapped at him angrily. "You're not telling us everything!"  
He held his hands up. "No no, I swear it's true! No one knows where she went, or who she really was."  
Odette spoke, almost lost in thought. "That's because we're asking about the wrong person. In my vision, I saw a girl in a white dress with a pet flying boar. Know anybody like that?"  
"Well, a flying boar was the symbol of the Amberhood family. They're the richest people in town, probably the whole world," the first boy said.  
The second, who was hiding behind his friend, peered out. "Yeah, but they don't have a daughter."  
"Flying boar was good enough for me," Odette said and turned to us. "Let's check it out."  
The two boys tried to look tough as Odette turned her back to them. "Yeah, you better leave.  
I turned as I exited the compound and put two fingers up to my eyes. "Hey, I've got my eye on you."  
Alana came up behind me, her arms out like an airplane.  
"Water Tribe," she whispered with a smile as we left.

Odette:

We were directed to a beautiful, walled country estate with a lovely garden and many ponds. It was daylight and we were still looking for the Bandit. Praying that this was the place, I looked up at the gate, zeroing in on the crest with a flying boar emblazoned upon it.  
"That's the flying boar from my vision. Come on," I said to Kole and Alana, who were by my side as we spied on the estate.  
We backed away from our vantage point and easily suck over to the wall of the compound. After looking around for a moment, I airbended myself over the wall, then Alana and Kole climbed over after me. Behind light on our feet, we sprinted across some open grass a swiftly dove behind a large bush. I poked my head out below, Kole's on top of mine, then Alana's above his and we peered around curiously.  
Suddenly a huge surge of earth threw us all into the air.  
We yelled in shock as we fell and landed unceremoniously. Alana hit the ground face first and Kole and I flew into nearby bushes, landing in a tangled mess. Startled, I looked up and came face to face with the Bandit, now in her fancy gown.  
"What are you doing here, twinkle toes?" she growled.  
"How did you know it was me?" I asked, my heartbeat picking up in excitement as I faced my master.  
"Don't answer to twinkle toes. It's not warrior-like!" Alana whined at me from the ground.  
Kole snorted. "You're the one whose bag matches her belt."  
The Bandit ignored them. "How did you find me?"  
I airbended myself to my feet. "Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an earthbender who listens to the earth. And then I had a vision in a magic swamp and…"  
Kole cut me off with a slight smile. "What Odette is trying to say is, she's the Avatar, and if she doesn't master earthbending soon she won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord."  
The Bandit suddenly stuck her open hand in Kole's face, who looked taken aback.  
"Not my problem. Now get out of here or I'll call the guards," she snapped and my hopes immediately plummeted.  
I had to convince her to teach me, or else we were going to be in serious trouble here. I wasn't sure how I knew she was the right teacher…I just did. It was probably some freaky Avatar thing.  
"Look, we all have to do our part to win this war. And yours is to teach Odette earthbending," Alana said.  
As Alana concluded her argument, the Bandit's eyes narrowed and she turned around, looking distraught.  
"Guards! Guards, help!" she cried in a terrified voice and I froze.  
Panicked, we ran around, our minds blanking. Finally I shoved both Kole and Alana towards the wall and airbended them over before quickly following. As they untangled themselves from the heap they'd ended up in, I hovered on an air ball and carefully peered over the top of the wall.  
The Bandit rearranged her hair slightly as two burly guards came up to her.  
"Elise, what happened?"  
"I thought I heard someone. I got scared," the Bandit - I mean, Elise - said in an innocent voice.  
Innocent my butt!  
"You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Elise," he chastised her.  
I continued to watch silently as the guards escorted Elise away. Miffed, I strummed my fingers on the roof. I had to convince her…I just had to. Obviously she didn't want to talk to me after what had happened in the arena…but maybe she would be more civil out in public. Say, around her parents? My face broke into a cunning smile as I got an idea and I disappeared behind the wall.

Kole:

Odette ran her plan by Alana and I before she dragged us all the way to the front door of Elise's estate. When she told the servant who answered the door who she was, his eyes flew wide with excitement and he practically slammed the door off it's hinges in his hurry to inform the masters of the house.  
Quite literally, within ten minutes we were all ushered inside and seated at a elegant western style dinner table. A variety of food had been placed upon it. Odette, Alana, and I were seated along one side, Elise, Mrs. Amberhood, and Master Neeko sat along the other. Micha - the head of the house - was at the head of the table.  
As soon as the food hit the table, Alana began scarfing down everything her hands touched like a pig.  
I shook my head at her in disgust as another servant placed a hot dish in front of Elise.  
Micha frowned at this. "Blow on it. It's too hot for her."  
Odette, cranking up her natural charm, smiled at him sweetly. "Allow me."  
She created a small whirlwind which zoomed across the table and petered out over Elise's dish, cooling it instantly. Everyone clapped in amazement and Odette nodded her head slightly, feigning an embarrassed expression.  
Oh, she was so working every angle she had to the max.  
Neeko was amazed. "Oh my!"  
Mrs. Amberhood turned to her and smiled like a giddy schoolgirl. "Avatar Odette, it's an honor to have you visit us."  
Micha was just as eager to impress her. "In your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?"  
"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but," she said slyly, looking suggestively over at Elise. "I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first."  
"Well, Master Neeko is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Elise since she was little," Micha said as Neeko daintily dabbed his mouth with a napkin.  
"Then she must be a great earthbender," Odette said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice as she practically pinned the blind girl to the wall with her eyes. "Probably good enough to teach someone else."  
Elise suddenly earthbended a shock wave at Odette underneath the table, her expression furious. Odette hopped up in her seat in pain and surprise.  
"Ow!" she snapped and looked at her angrily. Elise simply smiled and put some food in her mouth with her chopsticks.  
This was going to get worse before it got better…  
Neeko and the rest of the table ignored this strange course of events. "Elise was still learning the basics."  
Micha nodded. "Yes, and sadly because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master."  
Our group all looked at each other sarcastically, then Odette responded.  
"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she was."  
Elise looked annoyed and sent another shock wave at Odette. It knocked her chair backwards, sending her face into the bowl in front of her. Furious, she righted herself, the bowl still stuck to her face. Alana and I looked at her with horrified expressions as did Micha.  
Odette was gong to kill her…  
Elise smiled and took another bite. Odette smacked her face in frustration, then smiled before her face contorted as a sneeze developed. She sneezed, sending a wind across the table that sent food all over the place. Master Neeko, Mrs. Amberhood and Elise were all covered. Elise got up in anger after the bowl that had covered her face fell off.  
"What's your problem?" the little girl snapped angrily.  
"What's your problem?" Odette shot back, jumping to her feet.  
Odette and Elise glared at each other across the table, Micha in between them, looking uncomfortable just like the rest of us. Everyone froze for a few moments in shocked silence before Elise's mother smiled as she and Neeko wiped themselves off.  
"Well, shall we move to the living room for dessert then?" she said awkwardly, trying to change the subject.

Odette:

I hated her!  
That night, we were taken to Elise's villa and we settled down for the night in a large room. Alana was lying on her side and Kole sat on a green bed or couch on the left of the room. I stood in front of a large window where Emrys's face could be seen. I waved sadly at her, wishing I could be out in the night air with her instead of stuck in here with the little brat.  
"Good night, buddy," I sighed.  
I turned and yelped in surprise as I spotted the source of my irritation at the threshold of the door into the room. Glaring, I assumed an airbending stance.  
Elise stood with her back to the door frame, not even looking at me.  
"Relax. Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, ok?" she said and I started, surprised.  
After a moment, I hesitantly relaxed my fighting stance. She looked over and nodded her head, gesturing for me to follow her. Still, unsure, I looked over at my companions who shrugged before I went ahead and followed her. She led me through the villa without saying a word and I just followed along, wondering what she wanted.  
Still silent, we walked over a bridge over a small brook. While I walked like a normal person on the bridge, Elise walked beside me along the guardrail. The full moon lit the path in front of us so seeing wasn't an issue.  
It was on the bridge where Elise finally spoke.  
"Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing," she said suddenly.  
We reached the end of the bridge and she jumped off the guardrail and landed on the ground as easily as a cat.  
"I see with earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet. I can feel the vibrations in the earth, and I can see where everything is. You, that tree, even those ants," she said.  
I looked around, but was unable to see the ants that Elise was talking about. Impressed, I finally turned to her with a smile.  
"That's amazing," I said.  
"My parents don't understand. They've always treated me like I was helpless," she snapped in frustration.  
"Is that why you became The Blind Bandit?" I asked, starting to connect the dots.  
"Yeah."  
"Then why stay here where you're not happy?"  
It made no sense to me…but then again my family was long gone.  
"They're my parents. Where else am I supposed to go?" she said sadly.  
Not sure of what to say, I paused, then I smiled. "You could come with us."  
She nodded wistfully. "Yeah. You guys get to go wherever you want. No one telling you what to do, that's the life. It's just not my life."  
When she concluded, her head turned suddenly as she sensed something amiss. She dropped to her knees and placed a hand on the ground.  
"We're being ambushed."  
Elise grabbed my arm and began to run. As we took off in headlong flight, I looked over uncertainly at the blind girl as we ran.  
Behind us, something tunneling just under the ground moved rapidly in pursuit. A gopher trail of our pursuer passed us and turned around to appear in front of us. The gopher man contestant from the tournament burst from the ground and challenged us and Elise and I immediately fell into combat stances.  
Both of us looked up just as two metal cases dropped on top of us. Each had a window with metal bars for our faces. The rest of the Earthbending Tournament contestants and Alex dropped from the top of the wall into the garden. The Hippo landed atop the two metal cases and stomped on them a few times, made my teeth rattled around in my skull. Through the bars, I glared at Alex and his gang as he sneered at Elise and I.  
"I think you kids owe me some money," he growled in a sinister tone.

Kole:

Alana, Master Neeko, Elise's parents and I all stood in the garden later that night. After Odette and Elise had been gone for a few hours, my sister and I had decided to look for them. At the moment, we were stood around the impressions made in the ground by what appeared to be metal cases, probably what had been used to trap the Odette and Elise.  
Not to far from the marks, a sword was stuck in the earth, pinning a scroll to the ground. Alana picked up the sword and the scroll with it. She offered it to me by held the end of the sword out to me.  
"Whoever took Odette and Elise left this," she said as I took the offered scroll. I scanned through it briefly, growing angrier with every word. I realized the others were all staring at me expectantly and I cleared my throat and began to read aloud.  
"'If you want to see your daughter again, bring 500 gold pieces to the arena.' It's signed 'Alex and The Boulder,'" I said.  
I was going to ring both of their necks when I found them.  
"I can't believe it," Alana said somberly. She suddenly grabbed the scroll, ran a few feet and dropped to her knees. She held the scroll up over her head and screamed, "I have the Boulder's autograph!"  
I simply stared at her, both slightly annoyed and confused. Micha turned to Neeko after a moment, desperation all over his face as his wife cried softly by his side.  
"Master Neeko, I need you to help you get my daughter back," he begged.  
I turned to address Micha. "We're going with you."  
Mrs. Amberhood kneeled in between the impressions in the ground. She clasped her hands in front of her in worry. "Poor Elise. She must be so scared…"

Odette:

"You think you're so tough…" Elise snarled from inside her metal case, her hands on the bars of the window.  
Her case along with mine were suspended from chains high above the ground, way our of reach for any potential rescuers.  
"Why don't you come up here so I can smack that grin off your face?" she continued to rant, pointing at our captors who were below us.  
Alex and The Boulder looked at us from below on the arena floor.  
"I'm not smiling," Alex said coolly, his face twisted into a sneer.  
A voice suddenly rang out from behind Alex.  
It was her father.  
"Elise!"  
I gasped and smiled as Alex turned around to face Kole, Alana, Micha and Neeko at the other end of the arena. Alana held up a green bag in her hand, her expression dark.  
"Here's your money. Now let them go," she said. She dropped the bag and Neeko kicked it over to Alex with an earthbending move. Alex picked up the bag, opened it and confirmed its contents. He turned around and gave a signal to someone. Elise's cage began to drop as the sounds of wheels and gears started grinding against each other as she was lowered.  
The case stopped a few feet above the ground. The bottom opened and Elise fell out. She ran over to her father and he put his hand on her shoulder and guided her away, Master Neeko in tow. Kole and Alana watched them leave, then turned to look towards Alex and the others.  
Kole took a threatening step forward, his expression even more furious than Alana's - which was saying something.  
"What about Odette?" he snapped, his tone laced with a warning.  
Alex held up a scroll. It unrolled to reveal a wanted picture of me.  
Great.  
"I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for the Avatar. Now, get out of my ring," he snapped, his eyes narrowed into slits.  
Kole looked quickly to his left as a whirlwind appeared, approaching fast. When it stopped and dissipated, it revealed Fire Nation Man. The man in the green mask dropped to the floor of the arena, ready for action.  
The Hippo waddled forward next, held a huge log and crushed it in his hands. Rock and dust rained down as the man with the painted face landed in the arena and rushed forward. Finally, the whole crew, the painted face man, Alex, Fire Nation Man, the green mask man, the Hippo and The Boulder were stood between my friends and I. Lastly, the gopher man erupted from the arena floor in front of Alex.  
Kole and Alana looked disconcerted as they looked up at me, suspended in my metal case. I waved them off. I knew Kole well enough to know that he would take on every single one of these guys if he had to and Alana would follow. But they would lose, and I couldn't allow that.  
"Go. I'll be ok," I said, already thinking up a plan.  
Hesitantly, Kole and Alana backed away. They spun and stopped at the entrance of the tunnel, calling after Elise who was walking with Micha and Neeko.  
"Elise, there's too many of them. We need an earthbender. We need you!" Kole begged her. I hoped she would help, because obviously he wasn't going to listen to me.  
Elise, Micha and Neeko turned to look backwards, Micha with an angry expression.  
"My daughter is blind," he growled as he held his daughter's hand. "She is blind and tiny and helpless and fragile. She cannot help you."  
Elise closed her eyes for a moment before her expression hardened and she snapped her hand back from her father's.  
"Yes, I can."  
Elise began to walk down to the others, her father looking distraught at his daughter's decision. Alex and his supporters were walking off the arena at the other end. The Hippo supported my metal case on his shoulder. Suddenly a huge, jagged rock erupted from the earth in front of us blocking our path. They all turned around, facing Elise, Alana and Kole.  
Elise pointed at them and made a sweeping motion with her hand. "Let her go. I beat you all before, and I'll do it again."  
The Boulder pointed back at them. "The Boulder took issue with that comment."  
The Hippo threw my metal case across the arena floor, made me rattle around inside it like a ball. From where I was, I could see as Alana and Kole moved up from behind Elise, but were prevented as the blind girl fanned out her arms, blocking them.  
"Wait," she said, glaring blindly at the tournament contestants rushing at her. She turned her head left slightly and looking at my friends. "They're mine."  
Kole and Alana froze with surprised looked on their faces. They looked at each for a moment before they backed off.  
Elise's foot stomped the ground and she struggled to raise up her arms in an earthbending move. She waited a few more moments, then stomped the ground again, causing an explosion of rock and dust. The entire group of opponents were blown backwards in an enormous debris cloud that nearly covered the entire arena. The Boulder fell out of the dust cloud and hit the floor with a grunt. Fearlessly, Elise strode forward and disappeared inside the cloud. Even though it was difficult to see, I could still make out everyone's shapes thanks to laying on the ground.  
I spotted a red shoe with gold fringe amidst the dust cloud as Fire Nation Man assumed various martial poses in the cloud, looking for his opponent. The dust cleared to reveal Elise in front of him. He noticed and reacted with surprise, but recovered. His foot moved slowly forward and a small smile slowly emerged on Elise's face.  
Fire Nation Man raised a stream of earth from the ground next to him. As he shot the stream, Elise moved right. The stream of dirt passed her as she stepped out of the way. She simultaneously launched her own attack, causing a series of rocks to burst forth from the floor that rapidly approached her opponent. The last rocks blasted Fire Nation Man out of the ring.  
At that point Kole and Alana reached me.  
"Odette!" Kole cried in relief, reaching through the bars to touch my face. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"  
I nodded my head and pushed him away. "I'm fine. We need to help Elise."  
"We're gonna get you out," he said seriously, his assurance unnecessary.  
A little annoyed with his overprotective state, I waved him off. "Just hurry."  
Alana hammered at the lock on the front with a rock, while Kole tried to open the bottom with his hands.  
"Hit it harder!" I yelled at her after a few moments.  
Alana glared at him as she swung again. "I'm trying!"  
Alana slammed her rock into the metal case one more time, smashing the lock into pieces. The bottom of the case opened up and I shot out, ready for combat. Alana shook her head and pointed, held me back. I dropped my combat stance and followed Alana's finger.  
The Hippo suddenly ran out of the dusk cloud, swinging one of the Earth Kingdom stone circles with the square center. He stopped as The Boulder got flung out of the cloud and landed beside the Hippo. He got up as Elise emerged from the cloud. She now stood on the large stone circle that dominated the center of the arena. She moved forward with her arms bent at the elbows, her hands help up in front of her.  
The Boulder made some intimidating noises and the Hippo beat his chest as she advanced.  
As the Hippo and The Boulder began to rush her, the painted face man swung towards his target below.  
Elise made several jerky motions and the whole stone circle began to turn. The painted man swung and slammed into the Hippo and The Boulder just as we were about to strike her.  
The three tournament contestants groaned in a heap in front of her. Elise still had a slight smile on her face as she executed some intense and powerful bending moved. The three opponents were ejected from the ring and crashed into their compatriots below.  
I looked up at the stood where Elise's father and Neeko were sat. Micha looked down at the arena with great concern as he held his chin in his hand.  
Neeko was shocked. "I never knew. Your daughter's amazing."  
Back down in the arena, Elise stood in front of the sizeable dust cloud, the others on the side of the arena to her right. She made one swift motion and the cloud was blown away to reveal a single opponent left, Alex.  
Alex cracked his neck in preparation for the duel. He took up a bending stance and Elise who spat a disgusting wad off to her side. The two began circling around each other.  
Alex started the battle.  
In quick succession he launched a single boulder, a double, a single, a triple and a finally a single rock at her. Just before the first of the rocks hit, she raised two triangular sheets of rock in front of her as a shield. The rocks bounced of her shield. After the last one struck, she launched one of the two shields at her opponent. It missed as he launched his self into the air to avoid it.  
As he spun in mid air, his hand began to delve into the earth beneath him as he spun. When his hand made contact, he scooped a chunk of earth out of the floor of the arena and threw it at Elise. She dodged and it passed by her face, rock and little pebbles blowing by a few centimeters from her nose. Her expression was impassive as she returned fire.  
For a brief moment, terror flashed across Alex's face. He was blasted out of the ring and landed in between Micha and Neeko in the stood. He fell into the pit below.  
Kole and I smiled in amazement while Alana's mouth hung wide open and she fainted.  
"She's the greatest earthbender I've ever seen!" Neeko said in shock.  
She most certainly was…

Kole:

Back at Elise's home, she stood in front of her seated mother and father, once again in her fancy dress. Odette and my sister and I were seated behind her, Odette's hand firmly grasped in my own. Now that I had her back I was determined to not lose her again.  
Elise sighed as she began explaining. "Dad, I know it's hard for you to see me this way, but the obedient little helpless blind girl that you think I am just isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender. And I'm really, really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me. But I'm twelve years old and I've never had a real friend. So now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me."  
She was practically beaming and I felt proud of her. She shouldn't have to hide her talent from the world.  
Micha smiled sweetly and I began to get a good feeling about this. "Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Elise. It's made me realize something."  
Elise turned hopeful, too. "It has?"  
"Yes. I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on, you will be cared for and guarded 24 hours a day."  
Good feelings gone.  
"But dad!"  
Mrs. Amberhood voiced her own opinion, her expression stern. "We are doing this for your own good, Elise."  
What a pair of pansies those two were, I thought as I glowered at him disapprovingly.  
Micha stood to give instructions to the guards as he glared directly at Odette.  
"Please escort the Avatar and her friends out. They were no longer welcome here," he said darkly and it took everything I had not to lash him with a water whip.  
As we were marched out, Odette turned her head around to look at her new friend.  
"I'm sorry, Elise," she said, her voice cracking slightly.  
"I'm sorry, too. Goodbye, Odette."  
As we rounded the corner, a single tear streaked down and dripping off the little earthbender's chin.

* * * *  
Odette:

Emrys growled lightly as Kole and I walked over to the lip of a small cliff in front of us.  
"Don't worry. We'll find you a teacher. There are plenty of amazing earthbenders out there," he said comfortingly, wrapping an arm around my waist.  
The full moon shone in the distance behind us and a lightly wind blew, blowing my hair around my face slightly.  
"Not like her," I said sadly. There would never be another bender like her.  
Alana walked over and got onto Emry's, still wearing Elise's tournament belt. While she was in the saddle, she cleaned it and it made squeaking noises as she did so. Kole and I walked over to Emrys. We walked on her tail and the dragon lifted us up to her back.  
Suddenly, a familiar figure burst through the bushes behind us, breathing heavily. I turned to see her with a look of wonder.  
"Elise! What are you doing here?"  
Elise smiled cheekily. "My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world."  
Alana and Kole looked at each other quickly, obviously catching her point.  
"Well, we'd better get out of here - before your dad changes his mind again," Alana said  
Elise nodded. "Good idea."  
I smiled and nodded at her knowingly. "You're gonna be a great teacher, Elise."  
"Speaking of which, I want to show you something," she said slyly.  
"Okay."  
I airbended myself out of Emrys's driver's seat. As I landed in front of Elise, she tapped the ground with her foot and a rock erupted from the ground, throwing me into the branches of a nearby tree. I hung from one of them by my feet, staring at her in shock.  
"Now we're even," she said smugly.  
Alana was looking down at Elise still when she extended her hand up towards her.  
"Um, I'll take the belt back."  
Alana, miffed, unhooked the belt and dropped it on her. It hit on the head and laid her out flat in a heap.  
"Ow!" she snapped.  
Alana winced. "Sorry."  
just then, I slipped and fell out of tree and landed in a heap myself.


	7. Chapter 7: Ren Alone

Ren:

Above me stretched an endless vas and partly cloudy sky. A dead tree dominated the right side of the road I was traveling on as I rode my ostrich horse. I was wearing a round, coolie type hat that kept the ruthless, blazing sun from burning my face.  
I was sullen, hot, exhausted, dehydrated, and absolutely starving. There was a constant gnawing pain in my belly that never went away and my tongue was as dry as sand. My head throbbed and my body ached and as the sun continued to shine down o me, I prayed it would set soon so I could get some relief from the heat.  
Not even really thinking, I rode the ostrich horse over a rickety rope suspension bridge. The horse put a foot through one of the planks and almost lost its balance. I acted quickly to right the animal and continued crossing the bridge, feeling my energy drain even further.  
Time passed endlessly. Minutes and hours ceased to mean little to me and I lost track of where I was, of who I was, of what day it was.  
Later on, sometime around midday I supposed, I came across the scent of something cooking and the smell seemed to revive some of my old vigor and fighting spirit. My stomach roaring to life in an angry cacophony of sounds and pains, I stopped my mount mid stride as I smelled the delicious something.  
I looked around almost desperately. I was starving and if there was a chance to get food I was going to take it.  
Far down below me, two people in Earth Kingdom clothing were around a campfire. I saw food cooking and clutched my stomach as the dull pains began to gnaw away at the emptiness inside. Determination filling me, I moved my hand to the hilt of my two broadswords and prepared to pull them out. Whoever they were, they would be easy to deal with. Just as I was about to draw the swords, a man approached his pregnant wife who reclined against a tree. He rubbed her belly and smiled at her.  
Don't, a voice whispered through my mind, oddly resembling the voice of my Uncle's.  
Traces of an ancient feeling swirled through me. Sympathy. The word was foreign to me. I had not been sympathetic towards anyone or anything in a very long time. But looking at them, I felt something soften just a little inside me.  
I couldn't do it.  
Knowing I was probably loosing my only change to get food, I grudgingly release my grip on the swords. I lowered my eyes in resignation and moved forward on my mount.  
Night came and I fell into an uneasy sleep on the side of the path I was traveling on. The ground was cold and an endless starry sky stretched above me, made me fell very small and alone. I was beginning to regret leaving my Uncle, but there was no going back now. I was on my own; I would either live or I would die based entirely on my own actions. Before, I may have been able to blame my mistakes on somebody else, but now there was only me. And it sucked.  
In the morning, I set out again before the dawn had even begun to color the sky. I rode all day. When the sun finally reached it's peak in the sky, I was riding across a field. By that point, I was almost asleep in the saddle. The thirst had been driving me crazy all day and I suddenly remembered I had a few dropped left in my water skin. I pulled it our and lifted it to my cracked and dried lips. Praying that there was at least a drop of moisture in the skin, I tried to take a drink.  
It was empty.  
My heart sank, my tongue somehow feeling even more parched than before.  
As I rode to the horizon, I looked around me, trying to stay awake. The landscape was a grassy field strewn with huge, circular shaped stones with squares cut from the middle. Many were embedded in the earth. Other than that, there wasn't much to see.  
As the minutes dragged passed my eyes grew heavy and I fought back asleep. My eyesight was blurry. Struggling to stay awake and alert, I had to jerk myself awake a few times. As my mind sand deeper and deeper into the abyss of sleep, I suddenly had a momentary vision - a memory - of a beautiful woman with dark hair wearing barely visible Fire Nation clothing…but I woke with a start. Seeing her was far too painful.  
Still weary, I looked up, hoping that the scenery had changed. It had, and I almost fell off the ostrich horse in relief. sat on my mount, I looked hopefully at a village in the distance.  
Food. Water. Food. Water. That was all I could think as I spurred my animal forward and rushed to the village which was thankfully only a little ways away and reached it in no time. As I rode through the streets, I was able to shake off my sleepiness and focus on every detail of my surroundings.  
I made a beeline for a food stand. Several Earth Kingdom soldiers, backs to the stand on the other side of the street, were playing some type of game. One of the soldier's was shaking a pair of dice to throw in front of them.  
"Come on, spider snake eyes…" he was saying and I rolled my eyes.  
Gambling. How predictable.  
There were three that squat on the ground and another who stood behind them, wearing a slightly different uniform than the others. The soldier in the middle was shaking the dice. He threw them and rolled two fives. The man with the different uniform scowled, as the roller put his hands over his head in triumph.  
"Yeah!" he cried out.  
His two compatriots squatting next to him began to hit him.  
Ignoring them, I rode up to the stall near the men. The soldier who rolled the dice stood up; his eyes following the sound of my arriving ostrich horse and he turned slightly towards me to look.  
I jumped down off the ostrich horse and walked over to the middle aged merchant behind the stand. After fishing in my pocket for a second, I offered him a few coins.  
"Could I get some water, a bag of feed, and something hot to eat?" I asked, my voice slightly hoarse from going without water for so long.  
The merchant looked at me sympathetically for a moment. "Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed."  
I looked down in despair, feeling the gambling soldiers eyes boring into my back. After a few moments, I heard them return to their game and I looked to the side at the sound of some laughter. A few kids peeked from around the corner of the stall I was at.  
One of the kids handed his friend an egg, who threw it at the gambling soldiers. It hit a soldier on the head and the kids ran off. The soldiers got up and looked over. I knew what they would see. No one around except for me, my back to them. The street was otherwise empty, so of course I would be the most likely target.  
Here we go, I thought with a mental sigh.  
"Hey!" one of the men snapped as he and his friends approached me from behind. "You throwing eggs at us, stranger?"  
I didn't look at them, trying to keep a lid on my temper. "No."  
"You see who did throw it?'  
I turned around and put my hand on my sword hilt. If these morons wanted a fight then I'd give them one. "No."  
"That's your favorite word, no?"  
"No."  
"Egg had to come from somewhere," the man continued, his tone laced with annoyance.  
I turned back to the merchant. "Maybe a chicken flew over."  
One of the soldiers started laughing, but a look from the man silenced him. Obviously he was the leader of the group.  
The merchant appeared then and dropped two bags of feed on the counter. The man swooped in and grabbed them and threw them to one of his men before I could reach it and I tensed.  
"Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support. You better leave town. Penalty for staying was a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger," he growled, and I glared after him icily. As the man spoke, he taped the war hammer hanging from his belt. "Trust me."  
Usually, no one threatened me like that and got away with it unscathed. But recently, I was trying to stay low and avoid trouble and starting a fight with a bunch of soldiers was probably not in my best interests at this point. Still, it took all my strength to hold myself back.  
He and his men walked away, the merchant and I staring after them.  
"Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the fire nation, but they're just a bunch of thugs," he tried to say comfortingly but I ignored him.  
I walked back over to my mount, knowing there was no point in wasting my time here any longer. A bright eyed boy appeared on the other side of the ostrich horse as I was about to hop up.  
"Thanks for not ratting me out," he said with a small smile. He had darkly tanned skin, crazy bushy brown hair, dark brown chocolate colored eyes, and bucked teeth. He was surprisingly cute…as far as kids went, which was strange to me considering I hated most of them.  
Not interested, I got on and started riding away. The boy looked non-plussed, then a smile spread on his face and he followed. The boy dashed forward in front of me and latched onto the ostrich horse's bridle.  
Kid just wouldn't take no for an answer would he?  
"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you," he said and began leading my banished self away. As we left, I grabbed my grumbling tummy as another wave of pain and hunger washed through me.

A short while later - approximately twenty minutes - we reached the other side of the town. We were walking up a road that lead up to a farm. A variety of pigs oinked and made noise all around us. The noise picked up as we passed the animals.  
"No one can ever sneak up on us," the boy said sheepishly.  
"No kidding," I said with a small snort of amusement.  
The boy - who had said his name was Peter - led the ostrich horse to the barn and I looked to my right. A rooster sheep stopped atop a fence pole to my left. It crowed at me and I quirked an eyebrow.  
A man suddenly walked forward and I straightened up respectfully. I wasn't too sure how these country folk would take to strangers. The man was fairly tall and big muscle wise. He had a scruffy brown beard and hair and his eyes were the same color as Lee's.  
"You a friend of Peter's?"  
At this question Peter ran out of the barn near us and addressed who must have been his father in an excited tone. "This guy just stood up to the soldiers! By the end, he practically had them running away."  
A woman them came out of the small farm house and came over to stand beside her husband. She was dressed in a simple green work gown and apron, her husband and son wearing similar colors and she carried the same features that they did. As she approached, she dried her hands in a dirty white wash cloth. Her long brown hair was in a slightly messy bun and a few strands hung down, sticking to her face slightly. They were the perfect example of a poor family living their lives out on the outskirts of a small country town.  
She smiled at me in a friendly manner. "Does this guy have a name?"  
No. "I'm, uh…"  
The man spoke up and put his arm around his wife and son. "He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Erin. Anyone who can hold his own against those bully 'soldiers' is welcome here. "Those men should be ashamed to wear Kingdom uniforms."  
Erin nodded. "The real soldiers are off fighting the war, like Peter's big brother, Aaron. Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?  
"I can't. I should be moving on," I said. Odette was still out there and I needed to find her as fast as possible, especially with my psycho sister out and about.  
Erin exchanged a look with her husband and he sighed as she turned back to me with a smile, her pretty face sweet and sincere. "John could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for a while, and then we'll eat."  
Knowing these people would not take no for an answer, I nodded my assent at Erin's suggestion. She smiled, kissed her husband on the cheek, and then turned and walked back into the house, the tattered skirts of her dress ruffling around her. John then led me to the barn, handed me a hammer and a bucket of nails. He grabbed a ladder and leaned it against the side of the barn and we climbed up.  
On the roof of the barn, there was already tons of shingle pieces laying about in one big pile. John showed me once how he wanted things placed and how to hammer them in. I got the hang of it easily and we set to work.  
Sometime later on in the day, John and I were still atop the barn, working away under the blazing sun. Peter had gone and fetched us two cool drinks of water and I practically fell off the roof in relief as the sweet cool liquid cooled my burning throat. I had him bring me about five more and soon I felt like I was going to explode from all the water.  
We continued nailing roof shingles for the next few hours. Near us, Peter stood at the top of the ladder used to access the barn's roof. He watched his father and I and as we worked in silence. I was on my knees using both hands to hammer in a nail, my arms starting to get a little soar from the constant repeated motion. Peter's upper body was poking up over the edge of the roof, watching me intently.  
"You don't seem like you're from around here," he stated and I wished he would stop being so fascinated by me. The kid asked dangerous questions…the one's I couldn't answer.  
"Uh-uh."  
"Where are you from then?"  
"Far away."  
"Oh. Where're you going?"  
John looked up from his work and gave his son a warning look. "Peter, give it a rest. Stop asking the man personal questions, got it?"  
Peter sighed dejectedly. "Yes. So, how did you get that scar?"  
I started and slammed the hammer into my thumb at this and stifled a cry of pain through gritted teeth. My thumb throbbed painfully and I wanted to smack something to distract myself from the pain.  
"It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about. A man's past is his business," John said.  
The kid's questions, though I'd tried to ignore them, brought up a lot of unwanted thoughts. I looked up, lost in a memory. I began to hammer once again, a look of fierce determination on my face as I tried to block the memories out. As I dropped the hammer for the third time, I gave up ant let them plague my every thought and fill my vision…

…The vision began with a pool of water. A hand with long fingernails reached down and gently touched the surface of the pool. A Fire Nation red robe adorned the arm to which it was attached. The person pulled her hand out of the water and opened her palm to reveal some small bits of food. A baby turtle duck swam over and squawked. It was fuzzy except where it was covered by its shell. It ate the offered food happily.  
There was a garden in which the pool was located. It was a sheltered compound and very beautiful. There was an eight-year-old boy and a very beautiful woman.  
It was me, still a young Prince, and my mother, Elena. In front of us in the pond hovered four baby turtle ducks, hoping for more food. I held a stone in my hand.  
"Hey mom, want to see how Athera feeds turtle ducks?" I asked.  
I threw the rock at one of the baby turtle ducks, which disappeared beneath the surface of the pool.  
Mother was shocked. "Ren! Why would you do that?"  
I looked guiltily back at the surface of the pond, wishing I could take back my actions. The baby turtle duck bobbed back up to the surface unhurt; his shell had thankfully protected him from the rock. The baby blinked and shook his head as its mother swam over to make sure the baby was okay. Once sure of that, she swerved and attacked me loudly. She jumped out of the pond and bit my foot, sending pain through my toes and I yelled, mostly out of fear. Mother removed the angry turtle duck and dropped her back into the pond. She swam away with one final squawk of protest, her babies in tow.  
I glared after it, embarrassed. "Stupid turtle duck, why'd she do that?"  
I hugged my knees and looked away, sullen. My mother sat next to me, her beautiful face soft.  
"Ren, that's what moms are like," she said and put her arms around me, instantly made me feel better. "If you mess with their babies, they're bite you back." She made a biting sound for effect.  
She hugged me tightly and I laughed, feeling warm and safe in my mother's arms…  
…The happy memory was replaced by another. It was another courtyard in the palace. There was a young Athera and her friend Kenna. Athera set up for a cartwheel. She made several successful flips but fell at the end. Kenna executed the move flawlessly and with incredible grace as always. She landed on her feet, but Athera knocked her over and laughed, pointing at the fallen girl.  
Psycho.  
"Athera!" Kenna snapped, glaring at my seven-year-old sister with malice.  
The third of my sister's close group of friends, a young Naveen, was sitting with her back to a tree. As my mother and I walked down the path across the courtyard, she looked up and spotted me. She looked away, her cheeks blushing red and a small smile stealing across her face. I resisted the urge to cringe. Naveen was nice and all…but I just couldn't get over the face that she was a big blah of nothingness. No expression or feelings what so ever came from the girl. I really hoped she would get over her ridiculous crush someday soon or I would kill myself.  
Athera noticed her friend's expression and whispered something to Kenna.  
She ran over to catch her mother and I as Kenna laughed quietly, which was a sign that whatever my sister was up to was not going to be good.  
"Mom, can you make Ren play with us? We need equal teams to play a game," Athera said sweetly and I wanted to barf.  
I snapped at her emphatically. "I am not cart wheeling."  
"You won't have to. Cart wheeling's not a game," she growled under her breath. "Dumb dumb."  
"I don't care. I don't want to play with you." It still amazed me how I was the only one who could see through her phony innocent girl façade.  
"We are brother and sister," she said, her voice becoming sickly sweet. "It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so, mom?"  
Mother nodded and I balked.  
"Yes darling, I think it's a good idea to play with your sister. Go on now," she said and fluffed my head a few times. "Just for a little while."  
Mother walked off, leaving me alone with the crazy people. Athera smirked and grabbed my arm, dragging me over to the others as they stood underneath the apple tree. Athera reached up and picked it as she began to tell us the rules of whatever twisted game she planned on us playing.  
"Here's the way it went," she said as Athera and Naveen's stood in front of us near the water fountain, Kenna and I facing them. Athera placed the apple on Naveen's head.  
"Now what you do was try to knock the apple off the other person's head. Like this." The gloomy girl looked unhappy as Athera fired a blast at the apple.  
The stem caught on fire and Naveen looked up, surprised. Athera usually never missed her targets. I instantly sprang to action to save the girl I thought was in danger while Athera looked on smugly. I stampeded over to Naveen and jumped her, knocking the burning apple off her head, but also knocking us both into the pool.  
"See, I told you it would work," Athera laughed to Kenna as they looked down at us, me laying across Naveen's lap in the pool.  
"Aw, they're so cute together," Kenna agreed, giggling.  
Naveen got up as I walked off furiously.  
"You two are such... Ugh!" she snapped in embarrassment.  
As I stomped towards the palace, Mother came out of one of the buildings. Still stomping and dripping with water, she began to speak.  
"I was just coming to get you. Uncle Ira sent us a letter from the war front." She paused and looked at me in surprised confusion. "You're soaking wet."  
"Girls are crazy!" I shouted with a gesture of frustration…  
…my thoughts shifted again to later on that day. Mother, Athera and I were all sat together in the library. Mother was sitting in her chair, held a scroll out in front of her as she read the letter from my beloved uncle, my sister and I looking over her shoulder on either side.  
"If the city was as magnificent as its wall, Eralith must be something to behold. I hope you all may see it someday, if we don't burn it to the ground first," she read.  
We laughed at Uncle's comment.  
"'Until then, enjoy these gifts. For Ren,'" she said as I ran over and picked up a dagger offered by a servant on a tray. "'A pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the outer wall. Note the inscription and the superior craftsmanship.'"  
I unsheathed it and read, "'Never give up without a fight.'"  
Athera was also stood in front of another servant. He offered her something on a tray.  
"'And for Athera, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls.'"  
As Mother spoke, Athera picked up a doll wearing Earth Kingdom green. The Princess made a face of disgust.  
"If Uncle doesn't make it back from war, then dad would be next in line to be Fire Lord, wouldn't he?" she asked.  
As they spoke, I ran around excitedly, practicing with my new dagger.  
Mother was disappointed. "Athera, we don't speak that way. It would be awful if Uncle Ira didn't return. And besides, Fire Lord Athra is a picture of health."  
"How would you like it if cousin Lucius wanted dad to die?" I growled at my sister.  
"I still think our dad would make a much better Fire Lord than his royal tea loving kookiness," she said, looking at the doll with distain.  
She held out the doll and made its head burst into flame.

Managing to pull myself out of my depressing past, I continued to work along side John with Peter pestering me constantly. We worked into the afternoon and eventually Erin came and got us for dinner. I was still starving and I practically jumped off the roof to get food. We ate at a broken and patched up kitchen table and Erin served us homemade bread and a bowl of hearty stew. It felt so good to put something back in my stomach but I knew I needed to take it easy, considering I hadn't eaten in days and I wasn't too fond of the idea of any of it coming back up.  
The family offered to let me stay for the night and since there was no room in the house I offered to take the hay stack in the barn. Besides, it would a heck of a lot more comfortable than sleeping in a saddle or on the dirt. And frankly, I was just plain uncomfortable around these people.  
When I was finished with the meal, I thanked Erin and said my good nights before heading to the barn. The night was cool and clear, just as any other summer night. I let my mind wander again as I closed the barn door behind me and laid down in the hay. With food and water and a nice place to sleep, I finally had a crystal clear state of mind, and I was able to think.  
I sorted out my priorities.  
Odette. She was at the very tip top of my list. That girl was going to be the death of me, I swore she would. I was so tired of chasing her around, and I was starting to find that…I didn't want to. I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to give the girl up to my father so she could be tortured until she grew old and died. If I managed to somehow capture her, deep down there was a part of me that just wanted to keep her, hidden away from the world. And the worst thing of all…I didn't want her to hate me anymore, because I sure didn't hate her.  
But that was wrong, on so many levels. I needed to drag her into to the palace and hand her over so I could get my life back. No matter what I told myself though, I constantly felt that pull. I denied it like crazy every day of my life, but I had been drawn to her from the very beginning. When Drake had captured her and I'd stolen her back, we had connected, worked together. We'd become an unstoppable team, and then she'd saved me…on more than one occasion. She drove me absolutely insane!  
As I laid there n the hay, I tried to figure out what I exactly felt towards her, what it was that made me hesitate. It took me a few hours, but I eventually did figure it out.  
She was my obsession, my drug. It was the same old story I'd heard countless others tell…when I had her I was fine and when she was gone I was unhappy. She was on my mind even when I didn't think she was. I couldn't deny my secret feelings - so secret I'd even hidden them from myself for the most part - any more. The thought of her, wrapped up in my arms, soft and warm and safe and mine…made me...No. I shouldn't want her. Not in that way. She was young and naive. She belonged to someone else - like that waterbending fool.  
Sweet, innocent Odette...whom I'd fought with the first time I'd met her. I'd been amazed by her. The young girl with the daring attitude and the reckless loyalty to her friends had captivated me from the very beginning. She was also the Avatar. That had amazed me too.  
I loved her. That disgusting sweet love that I despised. I felt it for her.  
I loved Odette. And she hated me. I was a fool for ever even letting the idea of us enter my mind.  
My life was a living hell.  
By the time I had sorted through just the first of my issues, it was almost midnight. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow, and I needed to get some sleep. I would figure things out as I went; everything would turn out okay in the end.  
Sighing in frustration, I rubbed my hands over my face and closed my eyes, trying to drive Odette out of my mind because I had clearly been out in the sun too much.  
I had shut my eyes for no more than five minutes before the barn door opened and Peter entered. I kept my eyes close, wondering what it as he was doing here. He snuck in, trying to be quiet and failing miserably, and took my broadswords. Normally I would have been furious, but Peter had done no harm. He was just a sweet kid who had apparently found his big brother in me somehow.  
I heard the door close and I opened my eyes. Since I didn't know what he was up to and I couldn't sleep anyways, I decided to follow him.  
When I finally found him again, he was practicing with the swords in an open field behind the farm. I watched him for a few minutes a little ways away, remaining unnoticed. The boy fell backwards in surprise when I finally spoke.  
"You're held them all wrong," I said, my face expressionless.  
Peter got up, a sunflower decorating his head. He looked ashamed and offered the swords back to me. Instead of taking them, I put my hands over the boy's.  
"Keep in mind, these are dual swords," I said and took the swords and began to demonstrate moved for the boy. "Two halves of a single weapon. Don't think of them as separate, because they're not. They're just two different parts of the same whole."  
I gave the swords back to Peter. The boy practiced a bit, already improved, then looked back at me. My arms were folded as I watched and I has an uncharacteristic smile on my face. The boy laughed and we walked back down the path that led to the house.  
"I think you'd really like my brother Aaron. He used to show me stuff like this all the time," Peter said, hugging me slightly.  
I patted his arm. With any luck, Aaron was nothing like me at all.  
In the morning, I woke bright an early and impossibly the family had gotten up even earlier than I had. Erin had come to get me, asking me to come to breakfast and like last night wouldn't take no for an answer, so I did. When I was done, I thanked them once more and told them I would be on my way. They followed me outside and stood beside me as I got on my mount. I just hoped they wouldn't escort me out of the town.  
As I prepared to take off, Erin offered me a package.  
"Here. This ought to get you through a few meals," she said, smiling warmly and I felt my heart soften. These people were far too kind, and I didn't deserve any of it.  
I smiled at her slightly, taking the food, when the sound of thundering feet could be heard in the distance. We all looked up to see dust rising down the road. It was the man who had threatened me yesterday and his men riding hard towards us.  
John glared, his face threatening. "What do you think they want?"  
I narrowed my eyes. "Trouble."  
The sheep pigs began to make noise as the men approached. They stopped just in front of me and the family.  
"What do you want, Gareth?" John growled, working to keep a civil tone which was not something I would have been able to pull off.  
"Just thought someone ought to tell you, your son's battalion got captured," Gareth said nastily, obviously enjoying his self. His smirk grew as John's expression turned to horror. "You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"  
"Dressed them up in Fire Nation uniforms and put them on the frontline unarmed, way I heard it," one of the soldiers said, grinning like a moron. He spat at John's feet. "Then they just watched."  
"You watch your mouth!"  
Gareth moved his ostrich horse forward, but I rode forward as well and blocked him. His dark gaze returned it to me and I returned the look warningly. He glared at me for a moment, working his jaw as he planned his next move.  
"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?" he growled and Gareth and his men turned and went.  
Good choice.  
The entire scenario reminded me of when we got the news about my cousin, Lucius…

…Another vision, this time started in the garden of the Fire Nation palace once again. Athera and I ran around laughing - still the same age we were in the previous vision - as a servant approached Mother who sat by the pond. He gave her a scroll. She opened it and stood up. A tear rolled down her face and I slid to a stop and approached her, concerned.  
"Ira has lost his son. Your cousin Lucius did not survive the battle," she said, her warm voice thick with grief…

I looked to where Gareth and his men had retreated.  
Aaron would mostly likely come to the same fate that Lucius did. The Fire Nation was ruthless and out battles were always brutal and merciless. If the patalion had been captured, that would mean the men there would be taken into custody, beaten, tortured, weakened, and then yes…they would take them to the front lines of some battle somewhere. And they would stand by and let them die before joining in on the fight.  
John and Erin hugged behind me and I felt my heart wrench for them. These people didn't deserve this…but I could do nothing to help them. I was banished, and I could not afford to be discovered. Peter stood next to them, his face distressed.  
"What's going to happen to my brother?" he cried worriedly.  
John turned to Erin. "I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Aaron and bring him back."  
John and Erin walk back to their home, the poor woman crying heartbroken tears.  
Peter began to cry as well and ran to me.  
"When my dad goes, will you stay?" he pleaded, looking up at me with big brown eyes.  
I couldn't look at him, afraid my expression would give to much away. "No. I need to move on. Here," I said and offered him my dagger - the same Uncle had given to me. "I want you to have this. Read the inscription."  
Peter took the dagger and unsheathed it.  
'"Made in the Earth Kingdom.'"  
I smiled slightly. "The other one."  
'"Never give up without a fight.'"  
I took off, leaving the boy and the family behind for good. Peter would never have his big brother back, and I could not serve as a replacement. If they knew I was the son of the man who had created this entire mess, they would lop my head off with an ax.  
As I galloped away on my ostrich horse, another one of my memories came to me. Since it seemed to be a reoccurring thing in my life right now, I just let my mind wander until I became completely enveloped in them, lost to the world…

I was in a room in the palace, wielding the knife I had just given away. I faked death and fell over. Athera was sitting behind me on a chair.  
Athera rolled her eyes, her seven-year-old face irritated as usual. "You waste all your time playing with knives. You're not even good."  
I got up, my cheeks flaming. "Put an apple on your head and we'll find out how good I am!"  
Athera got up and walked over to me. I flinched away a little. Even though I was a year older than she was, she continuously was able to intimidate me.  
"By the way, Uncle's coming home," she said.  
I was confused. "Does that mean we won the war?"  
Athera snorted. "No. It mean's Uncle's a quitter and a loser."  
"What are you talking about? Uncle's not a quitter," I snapped defensively.  
"Oh yes, he is. He found out his son died and he just fell apart," she replied in disgust, leaning against a nearby pillar. "A real general would stay and burn Eralith to the ground, not lose the battle and come home crying."  
I was angry that she would speak so horrible about our Uncle, who had always been kind and loving to us.  
"How do you know what he should do?" I looked down, sad. "He's probably just sad his only kid is gone... Forever."  
A shadow approached the entrance to the chamber we were playing in. It was our mother.  
"Your father has requested an audience with Fire Lord Athra. Best clothes, hurry up," she said.  
"Fire Lord Athra. Can't you just call him "Grandfather"? He's not exactly the powerful Fire Lord he used to be. Someone will probably end up talking his place soon," my sister said mockingly and I gaped at her, shocked.  
"Young lady! Not, another, word," Mother said crossly, glaring her daughter as she ran past. "What was wrong with that child?"  
I left too and changed quickly. Athera me up with my mother and I back in the chamber and then Mother escorted us to the throne room. We walked swiftly over to where my father was and took our seats. Between Mother and I sat my father, on my other side Athera.  
I had only seen the chamber a few times before and it never ceased to amaze me. It was filled with dark, ornate pillars held up the roof. The center aisle leading up to the dais was clear. The Fire Lord sat on his thrown up on the dais, which was separated from the rest of the hall by a trench of fire.  
My father and Athra had already begun the discussion and we had walked in and I listened respectfully to the tail end of it.  
"How was it Great Grandfather Ezra managed to win the battle of Urlia?" Father suddenly asked, directing the question to Athera and I, obviously trying to impress his father by demonstrating his heir's skills.  
I decided to take a whack at it.  
"Great Grandfather won, because…" my mind blanked and I began struggling.  
Athera completely took over, speaking in a quick, precise manner. "Because even though his army was outnumbered, he cleverly calculated her advantages. The enemy was downwind and there was a drought. Their defenses burned to a crisp in minutes."  
Father nodded, pleased. "Correct my dear. Now, won't you show Grandfather the new moved you demonstrated to me?"  
Athera stood and performed a series of firebending moved, each executed perfectly. I looked up at my father and saw his stony countenance turn to a slight smile at his daughter's performance. I looked on, an uncertain expression on my face.  
"She's a true prodigy. Just like her Grandfather for whom she's named," Father said when Athera finished the set, not a hair out of place.  
Athera sat back down next to me.  
She leaned over slightly and whispered smugly. "You'll never catch up."  
Stung, I got up and addressed the Fire Lord. "I'd like to demonstrate what I've been learning."  
my Father's expression turned rapidly to a frown. I tried to run through some of the same moved as Athera but I evidently was less skilled. After a few moments, I choked on the routine and fell on my backside. I recovered and finished the routine as my mother looked on in concern. Athera looked on her me failure with glee. Elena rushed over to me as I fell.  
"I failed," I said dejectedly, ashamed.  
"No, I loved watching you. That's who you are, Ren," my mother said and I looked up at her with wide eyes. "Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard."  
Athra was frustrated and angry.  
"Prince Mordred, why are you wasting my time with this pomp? Just tell me what you want," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Everyone else go."  
As we were about to exit the chamber, Athera grabbed me by the hand and took me behind some curtains.  
"What are you...?"  
"Shhh!" she silenced me.  
We ran behind the curtains and then peaked out near where my father now addressed his father.  
"Father, you must have realized, as I have, that with Lucius gone Ira's bloodline has ended. After his son's death, my brother abandoned the siege at Eralith, and who knows when he will return home? But I am here, father, and my children are alive," Father said, his voice cool and collected.  
"Say what it was you want."  
"Father, revoke Ira's birthright. I am your humble servant, here to serve you and our nation. Use me," he said.  
Athra leaned forward and pointed a finger at Father, who now kneeled before him. "You dare suggest I betray Ira? My first born?" The fire in the trenches rose up from below, mirroring the Fire Lord's anger. "Directly after the demise of his only beloved son? I think Ira has suffered enough. But you, your punishment has scarcely begun!"  
Scared, I broke away from the curtain and ran away. Athera turned back to the spectacle, a cruel smile on her face.  
Later that night, as I was almost asleep in my bed, the door opened and I sat up. Athera leaned against the doorway.  
She spoke in a sing-song voice before going back to a normal tone. "Dad's going to kill you. Really," she said, turning to look at me with a leer. "He is."  
"Ha-ha, Athera. Nice try," I said sarcastically, although her words did send a sharp stab of fear through me.  
"Fine, don't believe me, but I heard everything. Grandfather said dad's punishment should fit his crime," she said and began to intimidate Athra. "'You must know the pain of losing a first born son, by sacrificing your own!'"  
"Liar!"  
Athera came and sat on her bed. "I'm only telling you for your own good. I know, maybe you could find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you."  
Oh you would just love that wouldn't you, you nasty little demon.  
"Stop it, you're lying!" I snapped, held my blanket for security. "Dad would never do that to me."  
Even though I put on a brave face, there was a small voice in the back of my head telling me otherwise.  
"Your father would never do what to you?" Mother's voice suddenly asked as she entered the room. "What was going on here?"  
"I don't know," Athera said innocently as I stared straight ahead.  
Mother thankfully saw through her act and grabbed Athera. "It's time for a talk."  
Mother led her out of the room, leaving me alone with terrifying thoughts. To calm myself down, I started rehearsing the mantra I had learned ever since she had been born.  
Almost chanting, I whispered into the darkness, "Athera always lies... Athera always lies…"

The memory ended once again. In the present, I was laying on the ground, and I chanted along with the little kid part of me.  
"Athera always lies…"  
It was midday and I was lounging on a grassy hillside, not sure of where to go next, for once completely at ease as a soft summer breeze wrapped around me. I sat up sharply though at the sound of a wagon approaching. It was Erin and she was even more distraught than she had been when I'd left this morning.  
"You have to help. It's Peter," she said frantically, getting off the wagon and approaching me. "The thugs from town came back as soon as John left. When they ordered us to give them food, Peter pulled a knife on them. I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away. They told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but…"  
She began to cry hysterically and rage filled me. I jumped to my feet angrily. I may not have had any personal issues with them, but I had witnessed their bullying enough. Peter would come to no harm so long as I was here.  
"I'll get your son back."  
Odette would be proud of this, I thought with a small smile and then shook my head, mentally slapping the stupid thought away.  
Erin was too shocked to say a word as I got on my ostrich horse and took off. By the time I got back into town, the sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the land. I rode under a tall paifang gate that resembled something that could only be found in the west. Peter was tied to a post and his head snapped up at the sound of my approach. He smiled excitedly.  
"Hey! There he is! I told you he'd come," the boy said smugly and I groaned. He'd probably glorified me in every way he could and that meant it was going to be a heck of a lot tougher to end this peacefully. Oh well, I could use a little workout anyway.  
Gareth and his men emerged from the shadows. Still silhouetted by the light from the sunset, I dismounted and took off my hat for the first time in weeks, revealing my face in broad daylight. Gareth and I faced off, he backed by his men.  
"Let the kid go," I said in a threatening tone.  
Gareth laughed then spoke in an equally threatening tone, which was a big mistake on his part. "Who do you think you are? Telling us what to do?"  
My ostrich horse and I cast a long shadow across the dusty, slightly red colored road due to the angle of the sun.  
"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Peter in your army. You're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war," I said coolly, my voice laced with danger as I glared at them.  
Gareth turned to his men after a pause. "Are you going to let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?"  
Of course a coward like him would send his companions out first. He knew I could beat him, and that scared him. No matter, I would get to him soon enough.  
The soldier to Gareth's left brandished his spear and walked forward. I pulled back as the soldier lunged, then drew the handle of my swords right into the stomach of the charging thug. The soldier was knocked backwards, got up and ran off.  
Another solider ran at me with his spear, but I blocked and then brought him to the ground with a palm blow to the forehead. This thug got up and ran away as well.  
The last pawn charged I with his spear, but I broke it in half with a blow. The thug dropped the remains and ran. Peter laughed with delight. A crowd had gathered during all of this, Erin among them. She was amazed at what she had seen.  
Gareth, made of sterner stuff than his men, drew his two war hammers and adopted a bending stance. I in turn drew my broadswords. Gareth slammed the ground with one hammer, raised a rock and hit it with the other hammer. It flew at me and I shattered it with my blades. Gareth repeated the move twice in rapid succession. I destroyed one rock, but was hit in the gut by the other, knocking the wind out of me. I recovered quickly and ran at Gareth with my blades.  
"Give him a left! A left!" an old men shouted.  
Old Woman frowned at him. "It's not a fist fight."  
"He's got a left sword, don't he?"  
I continued rushing my opponent and chopped several more rocks, but was again thrown backwards by one that got through. I staggered this time, my vision blurring slightly.  
"Look out!" the old man cried.  
Peter was scared also. "Behind you!"  
I was being steadily driven back by Gareth. The thug leader alternated hammers as he smacked the ground, each time raising rocks and hurling them at me. Finally, with a mighty blow to the ground, Gareth raised up a shock wave of earth and rock that traveled along the ground between him and me. A huge rock erupted from the ground as the shock wave neared me, striking me in the chest and throwing me to the ground. The crowd gasped and pain exploded through my entire body as I fell in the dust, an expression of pain on my face.  
My head smacked the ground, and I was out like a light.

I had another dream of my past. I was young again, just as before, and I was again asleep in my bed.  
"Mom?" I asked sleepily, hearing noise at the end of my bed.  
I sat up, my mother silhouetted in the dark near me.  
"Ren, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done," she said, hugging me tightly against her warm body. "I've done to protect you. Remember this, I. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."  
She let me go and walked down the dark hall out of my room. Little did I knew that this would be the last time I would ever see her again…

When I came to again, I was laid out flat on the ground. The dust from my fall was still settling, so apparently I hadn't been out that long. Gareth was approaching and Peter was still tied up.  
I could hear the boy speak desperately. "Get up."  
After giving myself another second to recuperate, I opened my eyes and screamed in fury. I spun as I got up, firebending a circle of fire around me. Forget it. I didn't care if these people knew who I was, I would be gone after today anyways. If Peter and his family hated me, then fine, they were just peasants in my opinion. But if Odette could forgive me after everything I'd done to her…then whatever, I didn't care. I still had that to hang onto, one person who didn't hate my guts entirely.  
Gareth drew back, dropping his hammers in terror. I fired a blast at Gareth that hit him full in the stomach. The thug was shot back and fell to the ground.  
I finished getting up, wrathful and wreathed in fire. Peter looked at me in complete surprise.  
Gareth recovered and got back up. He assumed a bending stance and I charged him, sending many bolts of fire from my blade in Gareth's direction. One hit and the thug was thrown back into the wall of a nearby building. Part of it collapsed on him after he impacted.  
"Who, who are you?" he said weakly, trembling in fear as I approached.  
"My name is Ren," I said confidently and sheathed my swords. "Son of Elena and Fire Lord Mordred. Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne."  
The crowd began to chatter, Peter's shocked expression remained.  
The old man who'd cheered me on pointed at me furiously. "Liar! I heard of you. You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him."  
I turned away from the old man, ignoring the comment. Instead, I walked over to Gareth, who cowered at my approach. I bent down and took the dagger back that the thug had apparently taken from Peter. I walked over to where Erin was untying her son. After this was done, she moved in front of Peter as I approached, shielding him.  
"Not a step closer," she growled and I held back a sigh.  
I had been expecting this after all.  
I kneeled down and offered the dagger to Peter, who looked out from behind his mother.  
"It's yours. You should have it."  
Peter glared at him with hated, and even I had to admit that it kind of hurt. "No, I hate you!"  
He turned and walked away with his mother. I kneeled behind them, still silhouetted by the sun. The crowd stood still behind me.

Yet another memory came to me. Practically taking off from where my last vision had ended, I got up out of bed and ran down the hall as I called for my mother.  
"Mom? Mom, mom!"  
I spotted Athera leaning against a pillar somewhere in the palace, playing with my knife. She stepped out from behind the pillar as I passed.  
I looked at her, slightly panicked. "Where's mom?"  
Athera shrugged, a happy grin on her face. "No one knows. Oh, and last night, Grandpa passed away."  
"Not funny, Athera. You're sick. And I want my knife back, now," I snapped.  
I grabbed for the knife, but she dodged and held the knife out in front of her, taunting me.  
"Who's going to make me? Mom?" she sneered.  
I grabbed the knife and ran out of the room. I ran into the garden where my father looked out over the pond.  
"Where was she?"  
My father did not reply and I looked down in despair.  
Life became very hard after that.  
Another vision came to me, starting with me looking out over a larger pool. I was in a ceremonial plaza in the palace and it was packed with people for Grandpa's funeral. On the dais stood the gold sarcophagus and the Fire Sage presided over the ceremony. Around the sarcophagus stood members of the royal family, including my father, Athera and myself, all dressed in white, as was tradition.  
"Athra, Fire Lord to our nation for 23 years. You were our fearless leader in the battle of Arrat. Our matchless conqueror of the Elvor provinces. You were father of Ira. Father of Mordred. Husband of Lira, now passed. Grandfather of Lucius, now passed. Grandfather of Ren and Athera.  
The Fire Sage turned and approached the sarcophagus. He reached in and took the Fire Lord's diadem. Father walked forward.  
"We lay you to rest," the sage said and held the diadem above his head as two firebenders on the left and right lit fire to the sarcophagus. With the fire of the funeral pyre burning behind him, the Fire Sage crowned the new Fire Lord.  
"As was your dying wish, you are now succeeded by your second son." He put the diadem on Father's head and backed away. "Hail Fire Lord Mordred!"  
As Father stood up from being crowned, the audience bowed low as he looked out over the enormous field far below filled with his subjects. Athera and I also bowed to our father. Athera has her customary cruel grin on her face. I looked over at my sister in fear, then looked ahead.

Returning to the present, I got on my ostrich horse and rode away from the village, my round hat back on my head. Either side of the street was lined with villagers, all watching me darkly. An Earth Kingdom flag flew in the breeze on the left of the street. Every par of eyes, including Peter's, looked upon me with dull hatred.  
I rode into the sunset, unafraid and filled with determination. Their hate did not affect me one bit, because I had a plan, a goal to return home, that I was going to follow. There was only one thing I could think as I set out again.  
Odette.


	8. Chapter 8: The Chase

Odette:

The sun was setting over a range of hills that had trees and a creek spread out before it. Emrys and our gang, now including Elise, sat on what looked like a dried up section the creek. There was a bunch of light, downy blue colored feathers around Emrys's feet.  
I sat in the basket and was passing a sleeping bag down to Alana. Kole walked around Emrys's head to the same side. Elise appeared from the left.  
"Hey, you guys picked a great campsite," she said, her feet in the pile of blue feathers. "The grass is so soft."  
"That's not grass. Emrys's shedding," I explained.  
Kole lifted his right foot out of the feathers and balanced on his left. "Oh, gross!"  
I shook my head at him. "That's not gross; it's just a part of spring. You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Emrys gets a new coat!"  
"Ah, the beauty of spring," he replied sarcastically. Emrys stuck her long tongue out to reveal it covered in feathers. She sneezed, blowing feathers everywhere.  
"Stop, Emrys, stop!" Kole snapped and coughed and waved his arms to stop Emrys from covering him in feathers even more. Alana was kneeling and rubbing fur on her head.  
"It's not that bad, Kole," she said and stood to reveal she had piled the feathers on her head to form a tall pillar of feathers in a very Marge Simpson like fashion. "It made a great wig!"  
I dropped down from atop Emrys; I had arranged the feathers on my face to form a large mustache and beard. "And a great beard!"  
Alana and I pointed and laughed at each other. Kole was not smiling and began to wipe the feathers off his sleeve.  
"I'm just glad we finally have a girl in the group and one who actually acts like it because you two are disgusting," he said, un-amused.  
Alana and I were both slightly hunched with one arm over the other's shoulder.  
"Excuse me," Elise said as she walked in between the two of us, breaking us apart. "Does anyone have a razor…" She lifted both arms to reveal a mass of blue feathers emerging out of both of her sleeves, under her arms "...because I've got some hairy pits!"  
All three of us laughed hysterically until I gave one of my powerful airbending sneezes, thrusting me backwards into Emrys's leg and then falling face down on the ground. I lifted my head, my beard and mustache were gone but I now had a large mass of fur sticking jaggedly up on my back. All three of us began laughing again. Kole at first looked disgusted, but quickly joined in the laughter.

Kole:

Later that night Odette, Alana, and I were setting up camp. Alana was carrying some firewood, Odette, with a blast of air, set up the tent, and I was swirling some water in a large pot. We all eventually stopped and look for Elise who had been missing for most of the set up part of the evening.  
She was laying lazily against a rock with her legs crossed, arms behind her head, and a piece of straw casually hanging from her mouth. At my pot, I looked at her, slightly annoyed, and stood up.  
"So, Elise, usually when setting up camp we try to divide up the work," I said politely as I approached her.  
"Hey, don't worry about me, I'm good to go," she said, still laying down.  
Odette and Alana continued working again behind me as I tried to get the kid to her feet. "Well, actually, what I'm trying to say was, uh, some of us might fetch water while someone else might set up the fire pit or put up the tent." Fang came over then and dropped nuts into my hand and then darted away. "Even Fang does his fair share."  
Elise took the straw from her mouth. "Kole, I'm fine. I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire, I've already collected my own food, and look." Now sat upright, she used her earthbending to create a stone tent. "My tent's all set up."  
I glared, becoming steadily more annoyed. "Well, that's great for you, but we still need to finish…"  
"I don't understand. What's the problem here?" she snapped, irritated.  
"Never mind," I sighed, giving up.  
I walked away as Elise earthbended herself back into her tent.  
Alana and Odette and I were still setting up camp a little time later. Odette stood on Emrys's head while Alana stood on the ground. Using airbending, Odette lifted Emrys's basket off her back and attempted to lower it down to Alana, but accidentally dropped it on top of her.  
"Aaaah!" my sister cried out in surprise.  
Odette leaped down to lift the basket off her. "Sorry!"  
I placed down my pot of water and looked over to Elise by her stone tent, all alone. I felt kind of bad for her. I smiled slightly and approached her again as she ate something in front of her tent.  
"Hey Elise, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I think we're all just a little tired and getting on each others' nerves," I started, hoping to make amends.  
Elise remained impassive. "Yeah, you do seem pretty tired."  
"I meant all of us," I growled, aggravated.  
Elise shrugged as she finished her food. "Well, goodnight."  
She turned around and laid down on her chest inside.  
"Goodnight," I replied half-heartedly, not knowing what else to say.  
I walked away.  
The sun set quickly and soon we were all settled down for bed. Odette was sleeping on Emrys's front right arm, Fang was curled up on Emrys's head, Alana and I were sleeping inside our tent, and Elise was across the camp asleep in her tent. I felt like we had only been asleep for a few good hours before Elise's shrill voice startled me awake.  
"There's something coming toward us!" she cried.  
Odette woke immediately and looked up, Fang doing the same. Alana and I jumped out of our tent.  
"What is it?" Odette asked, her grey eyes sleepy and her long dark brown hair ruffled in an amusing way.  
Elise was standing in the middle of the camp, kneeling to the ground to feel it.  
"It feels like an avalanche… But also not like an avalanche," she said.  
Alana rolled her eyes. "Your powers of perception are frightening."  
I grabbed Odette's hand nervously, not wanting any harm to come to her. After our kiss at the caves, I had been growing increasingly closer to her. Every time I touched her I could tell something is wrong, but I supposed it was just nervousness. But now that she was mine, there was no way I was going to lose her.  
"Should we leave?" I asked worriedly.  
Odette shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."  
We all packed in record time and flew away swiftly. When we looked back above the tree line, just beyond it, something is moving rapidly in our direction across an open area of ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust in its wake. Odette was sitting on her usual spot up at Emrys's head. She turned around and squinted her eyes to see our pursuer.  
"What is that thing?" I mused.  
It was a large train-like tank with smoke pouring out of it's smokestack. It had two large compartments connected to it, trailing behind. All had large treads. The machine was moving very quickly for its size.  
Whatever it was, it could not be good.

Odette:

I looked up at the moon in the cloudy sky. We had been in the air for a while and, like everyone else, I now had bags under my eyes and I yawned deeply. Alana was now using her right arm to support her head. Back at the end of the saddle, Elise was held the side of it while Kole sat in the middle. They both were trying to stay awake.  
Emrys flew through the sky over a range of hills below. She descended onto one of the hills a little bit later. Once all four feet landed on the ground and Elise jumped out of the saddle and laid flat on the ground. The rest of us climbed out as well.  
"Ahh, land, sweet land!" she cried and used earthbending to propel herself to her feet and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "See you guys in the morning!"  
Kole glared at her. "Actually, can you help us unload?"  
Elise looked back. "Really? You need me to help unload Alana's funky-smelling sleeping bag?"  
Kole and Alana were stood beside Emrys. I handed down Alana's sleeping bag to her. She took a few sniffs, twitched in disgust made a matching facial expression, and fell backward.  
"Well, yeah," he replied, approaching her. "That and everything else. You're a part of our team now and…"  
"Look," Elise snapped, pointing at Kole irritably. "I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff. I'm carrying  
my own weight."  
She walked off.  
Kole crossed his arms. "That's not the point."  
He stomped forward and approached her from behind. When he reached her they both stopped.  
"Ever since joining us you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful," he growled and I winced.  
"What?" Elise snapped, doing a half turn and pointed at Kole again. "Look here, sugar queen, I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Odette earthbending, so don't you talk to me about being selfish!"  
As she spoke, Kole made a gesture like he wanted to interject. Elise sat quickly and made another stone tent around herself.  
"Sugar Queen!" Elise closed off her rock tent by brining a slab of earth up to cover the opening to Kole. "D-Did you just slam the door in my face!"  
Kole moved erratically about the tent, grumbling. Alana, Fang, and I watched on, concerned.  
Maybe he was snapping…  
"How can you be so infuriating!" he screamed. He continued to grumble while Alana and I spoke.  
"Should we... do something?" I asked hesitantly.  
Alana shrugged with a smirk. "Hey, I'm just enjoying the show."  
Kole pounding on the "door" of the tent as I walked up to him.  
"Okay, okay, you both need to calm down," I said.  
"Both?" Kole spun around, his face hysterical and screeched as loud as he could. "I'm completely calm!"  
As he breathed heavily, I stood very still and erect, shocked. Slightly afraid, I began to back away slowly as I replied.  
"I... can see that," I said and edged away.

Kole:

Odette, Alana, an I were lying on the ground, my sister and I in sleeping bags. I stared awake at the sky, still fuming over Elise's rotten attitude. I knew it was childish, but I couldn't refrain myself from having the last word.  
"The stars sure are beautiful tonight," I said.  
Alana next to me woke up, aggravated, and covered her head in her bag to drown out the noise.  
"Too bad you can't see them, Elise!" I snapped mockingly.  
I heard a grunt and a rumble of earth emerge from her tent and crawled quickly across the ground. It struck my sleeping bag, causing it to fly upwards and land on top of Alana. Alana flipped me off her furiously.  
"Hey, how is a girl supposed to sleep with all this yelling and earthquaking!" she screeched.  
I looked over angrily at Elise's stone tent as she brought the "door" down and emerged, placing her hand on the ground.  
"That thing is back!" she said, her blind eyes wide.  
We all sat up in alarm and looked at her.  
"Well, how far away is it?" my sister asked, covering her head again, muffling her voice slightly. "Maybe we can close our eyes just for a few minutes."  
I looked up over the trees to see smoke from the machine's stack in the distance.  
Odette shook her head, urgent. "I don't think so, Alana."  
Like before, we packed like lightning and Emrys flew over trees and hills again, away from the smoke cloud. The machine moved powerfully and swiftly across the terrain, not breaking a sweat.  
Near the rear of Emrys's saddle, Elise and I laid over the piles of strapped down supplies and equipment.  
"Seriously, what was that thing?" I wondered.  
Elise sounded just as irritable as I felt. "And how does it keep finding us?"  
up at the front of the saddle, Odette leaned over the front lip of it while Alana was asleep and snoring in it.  
"I don't know, but this time I'm going to make sure we lose 'em," she said and put on another burst of speed.  
Finally, Emrys landed on a large circular patch of land on a hill. When she did, she fell over on her side, spilling out the company in her saddle. Odette, Elise, and I simply stayed lying where we fell. exhausted. Alana pulled out her sleeping bag and stuffed herself in it.  
"Okay, forget about setting up camp. I'm finding the softest pile of dirt and going to sleep," said and slinked away like an inch worm.  
As I pulled a bag close to lay my head on, I glared at Elise. "That's good, because Elise wasn't going to help anyway."  
Elise was laying face up with her head on her bag. "Oh, I didn't realize baby still needed someone to tuck him in bed."  
Odette sighed in frustration and I looked at her guiltily. She covered her head with the top of her shirt, muffling her voice. "Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what or who it is."  
"It could be Ren. We haven't seen him since the North Pole," I said, feeling anger well up inside me at the thought of him.  
Elise frowned. "Who's Ren?"  
"Oh, just some angry freak with a ponytail who's tracked us all over the world," I growled bitterly.  
Alana had put her head face down in the dirt but looked up at me with a smirk.  
"What's wrong with ponytails, ponytail?" she asked teasingly.  
I glared and gestured to my hair. "This is a warrior's wolf tail."  
"Well, it certainly tells the other warriors that you're fun and perky!" she replied and I wish I had a rock so I could throw it at her. "Anyway, whoever's chasing us, they couldn't have followed us here. So... now would everyone just Shhh!  
Alana lied back down as Fang jumped on her and whined. "No, Fang, ssh! Sleepy time."  
Fang jumped off Alana and continued to yelp. He continued jumping around, moving away from our group, his ears twitching. Odette stood and Alana laid her head down again, muffling her voice.  
"Aww, don't tell me…" she groaned pathetically.  
Elise and I got up as well, already inching toward Emrys.  
Odette was dumbfounded. "That's impossible. There's no way they could have tracked us."  
Elise shook her head. "I can feel it with my own two feet!"  
Odette ran to the right, stood beside Fang on the ledge to get a better look. I followed her, watching the cloud of smoke, once again approaching from the distance. The machine crawled over a hill and continued to approach. Up on our ledge, me, Odette, Alana, and Elise looked down on our pursuer.  
I grabbed Odette's arm and tugged slightly. "Let's get out of here!"  
She frowned and pulled out of my grasp. "Maybe we should face them. Find out who they are. Who knows, maybe they're friendly."  
Alana rolled her eyes. "Always the optimist."  
The machine abruptly stopped moving.  
The side of the final compartment opened and white smoke poured out and a ramp descended. In the smoke, three figures were visible. The three figures descend the ramp out of the smoke, the middle one in the lead. They rode giant lizards with forest green skin, piercing yellowed eyes, and sharp white teeth.  
I recognized them immediately. First, was the girl in pink, the one called Kenna, then Naveen, followed finally by Athera.  
Odette and I looked at each other, stunned - the bags under Odette's eyes were very visible now, as all of ours were. My gaze focused in on Athera's emotionless face.  
With a little grunt from their lizard mounts, they moved forward. Athera, Naveen, and Kenna rode their creatures up the path at remarkable speed, one we were not exactly prepared for.  
"It's those three girls from Naliwen!" I gasped, preparing myself.  
All four of us assumed our own unique battle stances, Alana having drawn her boomerang.  
"We can take 'em. Three on three," Elise said, grinning like a goof.  
Alana cut her a sideways look. "Actually, Elise, there's four of us."  
She looked inquisitively at the twelve-year-old while remaining in her battle stance.  
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't count you. You know, no bending and all," she said awkwardly.  
Alana immediately dropped her stance and made a furious expression at Elise, while shouting in an equally furious way. "I can still fight!"  
Elise nodded. "Okay. Three on three plus Alana."  
Alana growled furiously while her face turned red. I elbowed her and returned my attention to the path down the hill again and the three girls proceeding up it quickly. Elise jabbed her arms and fists in the air three times, while on the third opening her palms. A large rumble of earth descended down from her position, blasting rock everywhere. The mounted girls rode forward quickly and as large rock formations rose from the ground to impede them, they simply rode over each one.  
"Well, we wanted to find out who they were. We found out," Alana said, sheathing her boomerang and turning around. "Now let's get out of here."  
Odette, Alana, and I ran back Emrys. Elise, however, did not. She once again assumed an earthbending stance and stomped the ground once. A large wall of earth rose up to block the path in front of the girls. Athera moved her right arm under herself while blue electricity sparkled around it then brought her left arm over and across her chest. She released a blast of lightning which destroyed a portion of the wall which the girls rode through to continue their pursuit.  
While Fang, Odette, and I were already in the saddle, Alana was on the ground held her sleeping bag, and Elise remained at the edge of the rock looking on in amazement. Naveen raised her left arm and released four arrows from her wrists, heading directly for Elise. She earthbended and caused the ground under her to rose quickly, propelling her upward. The arrows hit the rock with dull little thuds as Elise landed in the basket  
"Emrys, yip yip!" Odette said, Alana finally crawling onboard.  
Emrys began to fly at top steed, roaring at the girls ferociously and swinging at them with her tail. The blue dragon flew away from the hill just as a blast of blue fire emerged from the dust cloud Elise's earthbending created. Athera had her right arm pointing up, her middle and index fingers extended. She lowered her arm and looked on as we flew out of reach.

Odette:

I watched Emrys's sleepy face as we flew through the night. In the basket of the saddle, Alana, Kole, and Elise all leaned against various things. I was in the "driver's seat" on Emrys's head.  
"I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Naliwen," Kole said in disbelief.  
Elise snorted, rolling her pearly white eyes and brushing a strand of her midnight black hair aside. "I still think we could've taken them."  
Kole balked at her. "Are you kidding? The crazy blue firebending and the flying daggers are bad enough, but last time we saw them one of those girls did something that took my bending away. That's scary."  
By this point, Emrys was flying over hills as the sun rose over the biggest one.  
"Oh no, the sun was rising!" Alana groaned, gesturing to the sun. "We've been up all night with no sleep."  
I sighed, beating off my weariness as much as I could. "Alana, we'll be okay."  
"Are you sure!? I've never not slept before! What if I fall asleep now and something happens? And something always happens!" She cried desperately, making erratic arm movements and crazy facial expressions.  
"Every time we land, those girls are there, so we'll just have to keep flying," Kole said, looking like he was going to pass out any second.  
"We can't keep flying forever," I said bleakly.  
Those girls would sooner or later catch us. If we landed, the would be there, and we were in no condition to fight right now.

* * * *

Ren:

I had been smart to track my sister.  
I had discovered the tracks of a Fire Nation scout tank a few days ago and had been following it ever since. Along the tracks was a trail of deep blue feathers that had to belong to Odette's dragon.  
At them moment, I was traveling across a beautiful grassland in hot pursuit, but the tank moved with incredible speed so it was impossible for me to catch it. The only way I was able to figure out where it was going was because it left large tracks in the once green grass.  
I looked up indetermination at the grassland before me, the tracks from the tank going the whole length. I rode beside the tracks swiftly, following the cloud of smoke in the distance.

Odette:

As Emrys flew over clouds, I tried to come up with our next move.  
I yawned sleepily, struggling to stay awake. "So, what's the plan?"  
Elise slumped against the rim of Emrys's basket, her face visible through one of the holes. "Don't know... too tired to think."  
Kole and Alana laid against the strapped down pile of bags.  
"I'm sure we'll come up with something after a short nap," Kole said, his eyes slipping closed.  
Alana nodded. "Yes! Sleep!"  
Suddenly, Kole and Alana and the rest of us began to rose as clouds rushed by; Emrys was falling. Elise and Fang were also rising as the dragon fell and what they were lying on fell away. Elise clung to the side of the basket, Fang, grabbing onto her foot with his teeth.  
"What's going on!" Elise shouted.  
I held onto the reigns while falling a foot higher than Emrys.  
"Emrys fell asleep!" I yelled back.  
We all tried desperately to keep from falling away from the dragon. Kole held his sister's hand as she griped the bags and we all screamed loudly. Alana pulled her brother closer to her and she grabbed his chest and held on tight. I crawled down Emrys's forehead to look her in the eyes.  
"Wake up, girl!" I screamed.  
One of Emrys's eyes slowly opened and she stopped abruptly in her fall at the top of a tree line. We all stopped falling and landed on the saddle as it stopped falling as well. We clung to it, but were almost blown out of the saddle as the dragon raced forward, crashing through trees as Emrys tried to slow down. As we braced from the branches and limbs that were crashing into us, birds flew away from the trees. Emrys had created a large trench behind her in her crash landing and we all looked up tensely, hearts crashing a mile a minute.  
Breathing hard, I looked down at Emrys's head lying on the ground; she'd fallen asleep again. I slide down off the dragon's head and walked away slowly.  
"Emrys's exhausted."  
Alana and Kole walked away from Emrys with their sleeping bags.  
Alana sighed. "Okay, we've put a lot of distance between us and them. The plan now is to follow Emrys's lead and get some sleep."  
"Of course, we could have gotten some sleep earlier," Kole growled, glaring over at Elise who was on her stomach asleep on the ground, "if Elise didn't have such issues."  
"What!?" Elise screamed and sprang awake, slamming her hands on the ground, causing it to break a little.  
Elise stood up and I approached from the front of Emrys's head.  
I was sick and tired of their stupidity. "Alright, alright! Everyone's exhausted. Let's just get some rest."  
Elise ignored me. "No! I want to hear what Kole has to say. You think I have issues?"  
Kole looked at her with an annoyed yet sarcastically placid face. "I'm just saying, maybe if you helped out earlier we could've set up our camp faster and gotten some sleep and then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation!"  
Alana was off to the far side of the "camp", rolling out her sleeping bag and falling down asleep. Kole and Elise stood next to Emrys, having a stand-off while I stood by the dragon's head, watching.  
"You're blaming me for this!?" the little blind girl snapped.  
Kole threw down his sleeping bag and waved his hands back and forth in a "bring it on" gesture while Elise, fists clenched, advanced on him. I quickly zipped in between them, trying to stop the fighting.  
"No, no! He's not blaming you!" I told Elise worriedly.  
Kole pushed me aside slightly. "No, I'm blaming her!"  
"Hey!" Elise snarled, each glaring at each other. "I never asked you for diddly doo da. I carry my own weight! Besides, if there's anyone to blame, it's sheddy over here!"  
I balked, my own irritation starting to raise it's ugly head. "What? You're blaming Emrys?!"  
Elise walked over to Emrys's side.  
"Yeah! You wanna know how they keep finding us?" She grabbed a bunch of feathers from Emrys's side and opened her palm to let it blow away in the breeze. "She's leaving a trail everywhere we go!"  
Furious, I jumped down off Emrys's head and shouted at her.  
"How dare you blame Emrys! She saved your life three times today! If there's anyone to blame, it's you! You're always talking about how you carry your own weight, but you're not! She is! Emrys's carrying your weight! She never had a problem flying when it was just the three of us!" I screamed.  
Elise stood for a second then walked away. Alana was now awake and stood, watching the entire episode. Elise approached her bag and kicked the ground, causing it to fly up into her arms via earthbending.  
"I'm outta here," she growled angrily.  
As Elise walked away, Alana ran and stood in front of her, throwing her arms out to stop her.  
"Wait," she said, trying to patch things up.  
Elise tapped the ground with her feet, causing the ground under Alana to move to the side along with her. She gaped and looked from side to side at the ground, making little cries of shock. Elise continued to walk away without a backward glance.

Kole:

I watched guiltily as Odette raised her arms to the sky, her eyes black and watery. Elise had been gone for only a little while and she was already breaking down.  
"What did I just do!?" she cried and fell down to sit. "I can't believe I yelled at my earthbending teacher. Now she's gone."  
I sighed, wishing she wouldn't take the blame. This was all my doing. "I know. We're all just trying to get used to each other, and I was so mean to her."  
Alana took a drink from a cup, smirking. "Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks."  
"Thanks, Alana," I replied sarcastically.  
Alana smiled even wider. "No problem."  
"We need to find Elise and apologize," I said, looking in the direction the girl had disappeared into.  
Alana groaned. "Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?"  
Odette reached up and pulled feathers off of Emrys's wings, then opened her palm to let it flutter away in the breeze.  
She paused for a moment and then smiled. "I have a plan."  
within ten minutes tops, Emrys sat in a river and was being washed. Odette and I stood on each of the banks using waterbending to create spouts of water that rose and splashed onto the dragon's back. Alana stood next to Emrys's wings with a scrubbing stick. The river was full of the feathers that had caught on rocks as it flowed down stream. Shot cuts to Fang who has a scrubber on her feet as he flutters down to land on Emrys's back and scrub him.  
When we were finished, Emrys stood next to the river, her body and feathery wings wet and hanging heavily.  
"Elise was right. Emrys's feathers were leaving a trail right to us. But now that she's clean, no more trail!" Odette said happily.  
"Are you sure that she's okay to fly?" I asked, recalling the incident from this morning.  
Odette stood next to Emrys's wet head. "She'll be fine as long as we leave her saddle and all our stuff here." She moved to a pile of fur and placed it into a bag. "I'm going to use Emrys's fur to make a fake trail and lead the tank off course."  
I didn't really like the idea of her going off alone, but there was no point in arguing with her. I nodded and leaned forward, kissing her cheek before turning and walking away.  
Once Alana and I were onboard, Emrys growled and took off. She didn't manage to clear the closest trees and hit them, causing their tops to break off and crash below. Odette watched us fly away, then turned around and ran, taking off on her glider while blue feathers dropped from her.

Elise:

I walked along between rocks and trees, all alone again.  
I couldn't believe that Odette had had the nerve to talk to me like that! After everything I was doing for her! I'd given up everything I'd had…I'd left my family behind - granted that hadn't been hard to do but still.  
Suddenly I halted, feeling a vibration in the earth. I turned to the left, sensing it was a fairly large, old man. I took a breath and earthbended quickly, causing a rumble of earth to Detra across the ground to my left. The rumble hit a rock and caused a huge dust cloud to emerge behind it. A loud grunt sounded and I smiled, pleased. I jumped up onto the rock rubble and took a bending stance.  
As I'd always said before, I didn't need to see with my eyes. I saw everything with my feet, by feeling vibrations. Basically, the only things I didn't see were colors. Behind the rock, an old man with a beard was lying on the ground, massaging his behind. His hair and beard were not nice and tidy, but long, shaggy, and unkempt.  
"Ohhh... That really hurt my tailbone," he groaned in a warm, grandfatherly voice.

Athera:

I dipped my long nailed hand into the river and felt some of the feathers we had been following.  
"Wads of wet fur," Naveen said, her voice monotonous as ever. "How delightful."  
I was kneeling, examining the feathers while Kenna and Naveen stood behind me.  
"Hmm... They're not wads, more like... Bundles," Kenna said as I stood and looked around. "Or bunches... It's got an "uh" sound."  
They paused slightly as I walked around a bit.  
"Clumps?" Naveen asked after a moment.  
Kenna was delighted.  
"Clumps!" she cried and jumped forward, grabbing Naveen around the neck in a tight hug. "They're clumps!"  
Imbeciles.  
I was kneeling again, examining more feathers that led into the forest as Kenna and Naveen broke apart.  
"The trail goes this way," Naveen said, point towards the trail that led into the trees.  
I stood, looking in one direction then turned to look another. The tree tops to my right were bent and snapped, as if some large animal had crashed right into them.  
I smirked and turned to address my comrades.  
"The Avatar is trying to give us the slip," I said, pointing at the tree tops. "You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the dragon. I'll follow this trail."  
I looked down the trail with determination, knowing the Avatar was down at the end of this one. Kenna and Naveen rode their lizards down a trail. Once the two disappeared, I whipped the reigns and my own lizard dashed away.

Odette:

I glided over the treetops, dropping Emrys feathers as I went. The terrain below shifted from forest to desert. I was exhausted, physically drained, and my face haggard. I checked to make sure the fur was still escaping then bag that was strapped to me, then looked forward resolutely. I was gliding towards a walled ghost town ahead of me in the distance.  
Once there, I landed and folded up my glider. I walked down the towns main drag. The buildings had been damaged and there was debris everywhere. Shutters flapped desolately on a window. A bell hanging on a porch rang in the wind. The town was completely deserted.  
Shaking the last bits of fur out my bag, I opened my glider to leave, but stopped myself. I turned and looked back down the trail of fur leading out of the ghost town.  
If I left, I would be followed anyways. Athera had been determined before, and I knew she would not stop until I faced her. I had no choice but to stay.  
I thought for a moment more, then closed my glider and sat cross legged at the end of the trail, waiting to face my pursuers.

Kole:

Emrys flew among the trees, looking exhausted. Alana was in the saddle and I had the reigns. My sister was moving around in the saddle to look out over the landscape from various angles.  
"Elise couldn't have made it too far," she said and Fang began barking viciously, something that was unusual. "What was it, Fang... oh no! Kole!"  
Below us, Naveen and Kenna were in close pursuit on their lizards.  
I gaped, my eyes going wide wit horror. "How did they find us?"  
I shook Emrys's reigns, Naveen and Kenna riding their lizards closely, both wearing expressions of determination.  
After a few moments of excessive flying, I realized that the dragon was angling downward.  
Alana noticed, too. "Emrys, come on! We need to go faster!"  
"She's too tired!"  
"Not good, not good!" Alana cried, panicking.  
Emrys yawned as I spotted a river up ahead.  
"We just need to make it across that river!" Alana said, coming up beside me.  
Emrys took the tops off trees as she continues to descend, growing wearier and wearier.  
I started cheering her on, hoping that would be enough. "Come on, Emrys, just a little further!"  
The pursuers were now right below us. Naveen threw several stilettos at Alana, but she avoided them with a duck. Emrys plowed into the river and then into the far bank, leaving a deep trench in the earth. When she stopped sliding, she was already asleep. Fang and Alana and I stood up and look to the other side of the river.  
"We made it! We're safe!" Alana sighed in relief.  
"You did it, Emrys!" I breathed, and patted her sleeping form.  
Alana and I hugged tightly, then I gasped at what I saw over my sister's shoulder.  
Kenna and Naveen rode to the edge of the opposite bank, not slowing down even a little. If anything they sped up. When they reached the river, their mounts rose up on two legs and ran across the water. Thinking fast, I launched a huge wave at them. The wave hit Kenna's mount, but the acrobat jumped gracefully off before the wave hit.  
Kenna emerged from the top of the wave and landed among the nearby trees. She jumped from tree to tree, getting closer to me each time. I opened my water bottle and tried to whip the bubbly Fire Nation girl, but then had to dodge several strikes from my opponent who was now in front of me. I then launched several sheets of water at Kenna, but she performed a series of somersaults and avoided them easily.  
Naveen had reached the near bank of the river on her mount and shot several stilettos at me.  
I dodged and Kenna closed in on me with a series of gymnastic maneuvers. Both of us turned as Alana got between us as Naveen's stilettos flew by, aimed at me again.  
Alana destroyed them with her club and boomerang before they struck. She threw her boomerang at her. Naveen jumped off her mount, the boomerang flying through where she had just been sat. She launched more stilettos at Alana which she promptly destroyed with his club. Naveen then launched herself at me.  
Kenna ran at Alana, a ruthless grin on her face. She did a series of somersaults and jumped into the air, landing in front of my sister.  
With a couple of rapid moves, she rendered Alana's right arm useless. She dropped the boomerang that was in her right hand, turned, and quickly found her left arms useless as well, her club falling out of her left hand. She tried to kick Kenna, but she deadened that as well. Then, as Kenna tried to strike again, Alana head butted her outstretched hand. Kenna pulled it back with an expression of intense pain. She got over it and then looked daggers at her opponent.  
"Good try, but no," she said smugly.  
I ran over to a tree on the edge of the river. I gathered up a wave of water from the river, but my arms were quickly pinned to the tree by stilettos thrown by Naveen. Fear slammed into me as the dark girl approached, a look of malice and pleasure glinting in her eyes.  
Naveen stopped and stood patiently several feet from me. A moment later Alana hoped over and collapsed between me Naveen, her behind sticking up into the air. Kenna entered from the right at a relaxed pace.  
"How ya doing?" Alana asked.  
I replied in a frenetic voice. "Well, you know!"  
Naveen looked at us blankly, her arms crossed and Kenna stood next to her hands on her hips.  
"I thought when Kenna and I finally caught you guys," she said and slumped a bit and looked down in disappointment, "it would be more exciting. Oh well, victory was boring."  
Suddenly, a blast of air blew Naveen and Kenna up into the air. Both screamed as they landed in the river some distance away.  
Emrys was now awake and she turned around to face us.  
"Thanks Emrys. I don't know what we'd do without you," Alana said, still on the ground.  
Emrys responded with a tremendous lick which left Alana sopping.  
Naveen and Kenna emerged from the river away from us, resting on the bank as we flew away. Kenna was wringing her braid out. She turned to Naveen.  
"Was it just me, or was that guy kinda cute?" I heard her say as we flew overhead and I blushed.  
Umm…awkward.

Odette:

The ghost town was quite and boring as I waited patiently. The wind ruffled my clothes. After an hour of sitting there resolutely, I finally spotted movement in the distance. I watched as Athera approached in the distance on her lizard. She reached the main drag of the town and dismounted. I stood up and we faced each other across the length of the main drag, locking eyes unflinchingly.  
"Alright, you've caught up with me. Now who are you and what do you want?" I asked, annoyed.  
"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint," she said and covered up her left eye with a clawed hand. She spoke in an imitation of a man's voice. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor."  
Ren! Oh my GOD, this was his sister? She looked to be about a year younger than him, maybe eighteen, and scary beyond reason.  
I looked at her, nonplussed, and she lowered her hand, grinning nastily.  
"It's okay. You can laugh. It's funny," she said, trying to goad me into her game.  
"So what now?" I asked, refusing to be sucked in.  
"Now... Now it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you," she said smugly.  
I stood up. "I'm not running."  
A cruel smile spread over her face as the breeze blew a strand of her hair.

Elise:

The old man and I - called Ira - sat around a campfire on a rock ledge overlooking the setting sun as it dipped behind the purple mountains.  
Ira poured tea for us both, a small smile on his face. He offered me the cup, but I didn't take it immediately.  
"Here is your tea. You seem a little too young to be traveling alone," he observed with a kind voice.  
I narrowed my eyes slightly and I took it. "You seem a little too old."  
Ira laughed. "Perhaps I am."  
"I know what you're thinking. I look like I can't handle being by myself," I said bitterly, annoyed by his observation.  
I felt Ira frown. "I wasn't thinking that."  
"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea," I shot back, taking a sip.  
"I poured your tea because I wanted to," he said and made an emphatic gesture with his hand. "And for no other reason."  
I sighed. "People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself by myself."  
"You sound like my nephew," Ira said, becoming sad as he mentioned the boy. "Always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. Not that I love you; I just met you."  
I laughed, enjoying the mans sweet humor. "So, where is your nephew?"  
The way he spoke, I could tell Ira loved his nephew a lot and I was surprised to feel that there was no one but us around for miles.  
"I've been tracking him, actually," he said.  
"Is he lost?"  
Ira looked away with a concerned look. "Yes, a little bit. His life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times. He is trying to figure out who he is and he went away."  
"So... now you're following him," I stated.  
Ira nodded, embarrassed. "I know he doesn't want me around right now, but, if he needs me, I'll be there."  
I smiled, feeling my heart warming at this act of kindness and thinking back to my own companions and how I myself had abandoned them.  
"Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it," I said and stood up. "Thank you."  
"My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights," he said and I smiled.  
"No, thank you for what you said. It helped me."  
Ira smiled. "I'm glad."  
I picked up my bag and began to leave, but turned back briefly, thinking of something that might help this poor old man.  
"Oh, and about your nephew? Maybe you should tell him that you need him too."  
Ira considered this as he took a sip of his tea and I walked away.

Odette:

"Do you really want to fight me?" Athera sneered. We still faced each other across the length of the ghost town's main street.  
Suddenly, Ren burst into the street from an alley between the Athera and I. my eyes widened in shock and I felt my heart skipping a beat. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, I was continually drawn to him.  
He tumbled off the ostrich horse he was riding, and landed in a crouching position.  
"Yes," he growled and stood and threw his straw coolie hat away. "I really do."  
I realized that he no longer had a ponytail. His head was now instead covered with short, dark brown hair. It looked…good; bringing out the handsome features in his face better.  
"Ren!" I gasped.  
Athera snorted and shook her head at him. "I was wondering when you'd show up, RenRen."  
I laughed a bit. "RenRen?"  
Oh I was so going to use that one someday.  
Ren was in a firebending stance and ignored the jib. He faced Athera, but his arms were outstretched both towards her and towards me on his other side.  
"Back off, Athera! She's mine!" he said darkly.  
"I'm not going anywhere," his sister replied and assumed a firebending stance of her own.  
The three of us faced off, eyeing each other, looking to see who made the first move. I noticed that when Ren looked at his sister, his light amber colored eyes held nothing but anger and hate. But when he looked at me, something changed. His entire face softened - just a little - and his eyes held worry, confusion, regret and impossibly…longing? Had he changed so soon? Was Aunt Wu's prophecy going to come true?  
Ren looked wary, Athera was confident, and I was just flat out worried. I didn't want to hurt him, but if it came down to it, I would have to protect myself. Ren's eyes shifted from side to side and he scrutinized his opponents.  
The world was still and deathly silent as we stood there. The eerie quite was thankfully broken though when Athera suddenly launched a blast of blue fire at Ren, who blocked with a wall of his own fire. Though he blocked the blast, it did knock him to the ground with a crash. I freaked out and jumped into the air with my glider. Athera knocked me out of the sky with a wave of blue fire but I landed safely, using my staff as a helicopter blade to both break my fall and dissipate the blue fire in my immediate vicinity.  
I rolled over on the ground to get up, but Athera landed near me after jumping off a nearby roof. I avoided her and got up with my staff. Ren had also gotten back up and was firing blasts at Athera, me between them now. Athera launched blast after blast of blue fire at me, but I dodged and ran around her. Several  
Minutes flew by as the three of us traded bending blasts, none of them finding their marks.  
After a few moments, Athera chased me into the upper floor of a bombed out building. When the Princess entered, her expression turned to alarm as we ran into the building's interior. There was no floor and the drop was sheer to the bottom. I was on the opposite from the door, sitting on an air scooter. Athera leaned precipitously over the edge on the side with the door, her arms flapping comically. I smiled and waved at her. She almost fell in, but recovered and managed to regain stability, standing on a ledge next to the doorframe.  
Right after she recovered, he brother ran in and promptly jumped into midair, screaming in surprise. He hit the ground below with a crash and I looked down at him worriedly. I felt my air scooter dissipating and looked up in alarm. Athera fired several shots at me which missed. I dissolved the rest of the scooter, bounded over to her on the ledge and knocked her off. She landed, gracefully and ready for action, next to Ren who was struggling to get up from where he'd landed.  
I ran out of the door I originally entered through on the second floor and down to the street level. Suddenly, the side of the building was blown open by a blast of blue fire and Ren was blown out onto the street.  
Athera appeared and started firing blasts at me. I dodged each, jumping up between the walls of a nearby alley, in effect scaling the buildings. As I reached the top of the building on the left, Athera sliced a triangular piece of it off with a blast of fire. The piece of the building fell out from under me, but I caught on to the remainder of the building. Athera repeated the process and this time I was unable to recover and I fell into the building beneath a heap of rubble.  
Dizzy, I looked up from the rubble in which I was entombed inside the building. Athera entered and lit the rubble around the room on fire. Terrified, I tried to free myself from being trapped underneath a large beam, but failed. Athera walked forward with a cruel smile and assumed a bending stance. Over her shoulder, I saw Kole enter the doorway and I gasped.  
Athera was hunched forward in a firebending stance, her right hand raised to strike. Suddenly, a water whip grabbed her by the poised hand and yanked her backward. I looked at him, shocked, as more water whips appeared and broke the wooden beam. I smiled and rubbed my wrist that had been pinned.  
"Kole!"  
Athera whipped around and fired a few blasts at Kole, who ran and she pursued him out of the building. As she passed an alley, Alana jumped out at her and sliced the air with her club, missing the Princess, but breaking her pursuit of her brother. Alana, Kole, and I now formed an arc around Athera and pushed her back.

Ren:

I was still lying on the ground nearby, waking up slowly. A fuzzy picture of Uncle resolved itself, a burning building behind him.  
"Uncle…" I groaned in surprise.  
"Get up!" he snapped and I grabbed Uncle's offered hand and hauled myself to my feet.  
Athera launched herself at Odette, who jumped out of the way and I jumped into action, protecting the object of my obsessions. My sister and the rest of us traded blasts and danced around each other, but it was clear that Athera was outgunned. She was falling backwards in an orderly fashion, when suddenly she was pushed to the ground from behind, revealing a little girl with pale, milky white eyes.  
"I thought you guys could use a little help," she said, shrugging.  
Kole looked at her with a genuine smile. "Thanks."  
Athera got up and started to run, trading blasts with us still. She turned and ran down the alley. As she reached the end, she ran into Uncle's belly and bounced off, looking utterly confused.  
Alana, Odette, Kole, the earthbender, Uncle and I closed in on Athera, whose back was now to the corner of a burnt out building. She had no place to go.  
"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done," she sighed and raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."  
I glared furiously at her and saw Uncle shift his gaze momentarily from Athera to the line up of his allies. He stopped and focused on the earthbender and then on Odette. Athera, who saw that her uncle was distracted, figured out the connection between the strange earthbender girl the Avatar. Taking advantage of this, she struck her uncle with a blast of blue fire square in the chest. Uncle spun in slow motion and fell. I screamed in horror, my heart coming to a complete stop.  
All four of us who had bending abilities then fired at Athera simultaneously and Alana threw her stupid boomerang. Athera made a shield of blue fire, but the combined blew of the forces directed at her caused a tremendous explosion, throwing me backward. I looked up at the rooftops as burning debris from the explosion began to rain down. When the smoke cleared, Athera was gone.  
Of course.  
Shaking visibly, I crawled over to my uncle, my mind raging. I kneeled in despair beside my uncle, who lied still on the ground where he fell. Uncle groaned softly as I clenched my fist and teeth in anger. The others approached us from behind.  
My eyes fell on Odette's beautiful face and I exploded in anger. Why hadn't she done anything! She was powerful and skilled, she could have finished Athera! No, instead, she had just let my Uncle be struck down like some lame animal. Was this her idea of revenge? Was she trying to get back at me for all the horrible things I had done to her. I may have deserved everything she threw at me, but my uncle did not. I suddenly hated her again. This was her fault. She had done this to us!  
"Get away from us!" I snarled, looking at her with hatred.  
Her eyes were watery and she placed one hand over her heart and stretched out the other in a gesture of aid freely offered.  
"Ren, I can help!" she said, desperate.  
Pathetic, weak, disgusting…  
I turned and unleashed a wave of fire over their heads. No matter how angry I was, I could not hurt Odette. I would turn her over, but I could not be the one to hurt her.  
"Leave!" I screamed.  
Odette and Kole looked at each other and I mentally winced but then shook it off. Whatever, let the peasants have each other, who cares anyway?  
The four left me and my uncle amidst the burning buildings. I looked up at the rising pillars of smoke and fire emanating from the burning ghost town, wondering how I was every going to pull through this one…


	9. Chapter 9: Bitter Work

Odette:

The days after our encounter with Ren, Kole and Elise patched things up thankfully. I'd had a talk with Kole, making it clear that I couldn't be with him right now. I'd beat around the bush a little with that - leaving out that the reason was because of Ren and just told him that I was just too stressed about learning all the bending. He'd been mad for a little while but by the time we made it to a rocky canyon where my earthbending practice would take place, he was as happy as a calm.  
The morning my training began, Alana, Kole, and Emrys sleeping. I woke bright and earl and leaped into the air excitedly.  
"Today's the day! Can you believe it? After all that time searching for a teacher, I'm finally starting earthbending! And this place... i-it's perfect! Don't you think, Alana?" I asked, bouncing with excitement.  
Alana rolled over, giving me an angry look and moaned.  
"Oh, you're still sleeping, huh?" I asked cheekily, brushing my hair out of my face.  
Alana moaned again and rolled back over.  
"Sorry!" I whispered.  
The ground began to shake and I took a step backward. I looked over at Elise's rock tent which suddenly exploded, revealing Elise standing with a fist in the air.  
"Good morning, earthbending student!" she cried.  
Elise walked up to me and I bowed slightly in respect.  
"Good morning, sifu Elise," I said cheerily.  
Kole roused from his sleeping bag.  
"Hey... you never call me sifu Kole," he complained sleepily.  
I rolled my eyes and scratched behind my head nervously. "Well, if you think I should…"  
Alana sat up and grumbled angrily.  
"Sorry, snoozles. We'll do our earthbending as quietly as we can," Elise smirked.  
She kicked the ground and cracks traveled toward Alana. A large spire of rock shot up underneath me. Alana screamed as she's launched into the air and hit the ground with a thud. She was frozen for a second or two before she got up and bounced toward Elise and I, grumbling angrily. Her face practically beat red, she bounced away.  
"So what move are you going to teach me first? Rockalanche?" I asked and shoved my fist down to illustrate the move. "The trembler?" I pretended like I had someone in a hold and trembles slightly. "Oh! Maybe I can learn to make a whirlpool out of land!"  
I held my arms up and spun around.  
Elise slapped a hand on the back of my head to stop me.  
"Let's start with 'move a rock'," she said and walked away.  
"Sounds good! Sounds good!" I said as she took me to an open part of the canyon. We each stood in front of a boulder while Kole watched from a rock outcropping nearby.  
"The key to earthbending was your stance," Elise said and she lowered herself and widened the distance between her feet. I tried to imitate her as best as I could. "You've got to be steady and strong. Rock was a stubborn element."  
She shoved me suddenly, causing me to stumble to the side.  
"If you're going to move it, you've got to be like a rock yourself."  
"Like a rock. Got it," I said, rubbing my side where she shoved me.  
"Good. Now the actual motion of this one was pretty simple." She lunged forward and punched, causing the boulder to shoot off into the distance, slamming into the side of the canyon. "Okay, you ready to give it a try?"  
I took up a similar stance, eager to get started. "I'm ready."  
My eyes narrowed and I punched forward, but a blast of air sent me shooting backward. I slammed into Emrys's side and fell on my face.  
Ouch.  
Alana, still in her sleeping bag, sat on a nearby rock, watching the entire thing.  
"Rock beats airbender!" she laughed.

Ren:

I looked down at my uncle, rubbing a damp cloth across his forehead. Not too long after Odette had disappeared, I'd figured out that he wasn't dead; just unconscious. I'd taken him to the other side of the town where the buildings weren't so damaged and we'd been taking refuge there for the time being.  
I felt so helpless. I had no idea what I was doing. The only thing I knew how to do was clean his wounds and put clean bandages on him and watch him lay there, motionless.  
I sighed and slapped the side of the wall in anger and frustration. I swore on my life the next time I saw Athera I would kill her. And Odette…that little lying brat would be mine. I would take her to my father and let her be tortured until the end of her days.  
"My beloved Lucius, I will see you again," my Uncle suddenly murmured, just a mere whisper of a sound. I spun around and went over to him. "Uncle!"  
I looked down at him, a concerned look on my face as his eyes slowly cracked open.  
"You were unconscious. Athera did this to you," I explained.  
Uncle attempted to get up but winced in pain. The bandages I'd put on covered the left side of his chest and shoulder.  
"It was a surprise attack."  
Uncle snorted. "Somehow, that's not so surprising."  
He grunted in pain as he moved to lean up against the wall. I picked up a steaming cup and handed it to him.  
"I hope I made it the way you like it," I said. Probably not but come in, did I seriously look like a cook here? It was a miracle I had even made it.  
Uncle took a sip from the cup and his eyes widened. He let out a cry of disgust, but managed to mask it.  
"Mmm, good." He took another drink and grunted. "That was very, uhh... Bracing!"  
I shook my head and handed him another cup. While my back was turned I heard him toss it out the window.  
I held back an amused smile and turned back to him seriously. "So uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Athera again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."  
Like that was ever going to happen.  
"No, she's crazy and she needs to go down." Uncle said and I was surprised for a second. Then I nodded, knowing he was completely right. If Athera was allowed to take the throne, the world would literally come to a screeching halt. Uncle grunted as he stood up.  
"It's time to resume your training."

Kole:

Elise and I stood next to the boulder Odette had tried to move. Odette walked up, a hand behind her head and I resisted the urge to make sure she was okay.  
"I don't understand what went wrong." I glanced at Elise and pointed at Odette. "She did it exactly the way you did."  
"Maybe there's another way," Odette said. She took up a fighting stance and began to walk toward the boulder. "What if I came at the boulder from a different angle?"  
Elise grabbed her by the collar and she turned around. She knocked her fist lightly against the side of Odette's head and she winced slightly.  
"No, that's the problem. You've got to stop thinking like an airbender. There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickity trick that's going to move that rock." She shoved Odette and she cried out and fell down. "You've got to face it head on. And when I say head on, I mean like this!"  
She ran forward and jumped into the air and crashed into the rock that Odette tried to move head-first, shattering it. Odette recoiled in shock.  
"Whoa!" she said, looking down, unsure of herself.  
Elise started walking away and I ran to catch up with her.  
"I've been training Odette for a while now. She really responds well to a positive teaching experience. Lots of encouragement and praise. Kind words. If she's doing something wrong, maybe a gentle nudge in the right direction," I told her, smiling at my Odette gently.  
"Thanks, Kole. A gentle nudge. I'll try that."

Odette:

"Keep your knees high, twinkletoes!"  
I was carrying a large rock on my back, straining desperately to hold up the weight. Elise was behind me, stomping down and causing pillars of rock to rose underneath my feet as I walked. I lost my balance and fell.

We moved on. I watched Elise rubbing her hands together. She began to quickly shove her hands effortlessly into a rock. I rubbed my hands together and tried to do the same thing, but I merely hurt my hand and grunted in pain.  
Next, I stood still, trying to keep my stance firm and ready. A bead of sweat dripped down my face as the summer sun continued to beat down on us relentlessly. Elise leaped out of the ground and landed next to me.  
"Rocklike!" she screamed.  
I fell over and blinked. Elise kicked the ground and a pillar of rock shoved me back up. She poked me in the eye and I grinned nervously.  
This sucked.

Elise's hand held Alana back as she grunted, tried to move forward, struggling to get her sword back. Elise held it to the side and prevented her from grabbing it. She shoved her backward and the irritated water tribe girl stalked off.  
Elise turned and handed the weapon to me while I was blindfolded. She stood on a rock in the distance and began to kick the ground, causing columns of rock to emerge. I tried to feel these vibrations she always talked about and attempted to hit them and finally succeeded after missing four. Elise nodded in approval.

We stood in a clearing. Elise raised her arms and two walls of rock rose on either side of us. I looked up in amazement.  
Elise then moved her fingers in a straight line in front of her and a line was drawn in the ground at her feet. She held up her fists and rocks shot towards her, covering her entire body except for her eyes in rock armor. I gasped in surprise, unsure of what was about to happen. She began to slide forward forcefully at me. Like reflex, I extended my arms to stop her and slowly began to push her back. I began to lose ground, but finally pushed her past the line she drew in the ground.

The next day, I was tossing a rock with a handle on it into the air and catching it. I stood on two tall pillars of rock, Elise at the base. She walked between the pillars, stomped down, and then hit the columns with her hands, causing tremors to go up them.  
"Rocklike!" she screamed.  
I didn't budge, a look of determination on my face. Elise rose on her own pillar of rock and nodded in approval. I gave her a huge grin, pleased with myself more than ever.

Alana:

I was in another area of the canyon, trying to avoid Elise and Odette's stupid bending lessons. We were running low on food so I had decided to go hunting…anything to get me away.  
A small baby fuzzy creature walked up to a small patch of grass and began to eat. I looked down at it from a tree.  
"You're awfully cute, but unfortunately for you, you're made of meat. Just a bit closer…" I murmured.  
When it was in just the right spot, I yelled as I jumped down toward the baby. I missed and landed in a crevice. The baby looked at me questioningly. It walked up to me and wagged its tail. I brought back my sword to strike it.  
"Gotcha!"  
I fell deeper into the crevice and dropped my sword. I was stuck up to my shoulders. I struggled to free myself but didn't budge.  
"You are a lucky little meat creature." I pointed at the creature and it wagged its tail.

Ren:

Uncle and I sat on the outside of a decrepit building. A pot of tea sat on a small fire between us. He was explaining to me how Athera's crazy lightning bending worked, something I was eager to learn.  
"Lightning is a pure expression of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other fire bending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire." Uncle took the tea kettle off the fire and poured it into another pot. He then began to pour two cups. "It is precise and deadly, like Athera. To perform the technique requires peace of mind."  
He handed a cup to me.  
I nodded in understanding. "I see. That's why we're drinking tea: To calm the mind."  
"Oh yeah, good point! I mean, yes," he said and I gave him a strange look before drinking the tea in one gulp.  
We got up and walked over to stand on the edge of a hill overlooking the valley with a walled, abandoned city at the bottom.  
"There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy." He held up one finger on each hand to stand for the two forms of energy. "Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This created an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together." He brought his hands together to illustrate the point. "You provide release and guidance, creating lightning."  
Uncle held out a hand, signaling for me to step back. He held his right hand to his side and with two fingers extended began to create lightning by rotating his arm in a circular motion around his body. He mimicked the motion with his left arm.  
I watched him, very impressed.  
He brought his two hands together and then lunged forward with his right hand extended and shot a massive bolt of lightning into the distance.  
"I'm ready to try it!" I said eagerly.  
I can do this…I can do this…don't mess up this time.  
Uncle rubbed his injured shoulder slightly. "Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."  
I breathed in and closed my eyes, focusing on relaxing every muscle in my body. I then began to mimic the motions that Uncle performed, except that I did not create traces of lightning. Frustrated, I shouted and shoved my right hand forward, but it merely caused a fiery explosion that shoved me backward. I fell on my back next to Uncle and he shook his head slightly.

Odette:

Earthbending training was getting harder and harder and today was going to be one of the toughest lessons yet. Elise, Kole, and I stood in the middle of the canyon. Elise walked in front of me as she spoke.  
"This time we're going to try something a little different. Instead of moving a rock, you're going to stop a rock. Get in your horse stance!" she suddenly yelled. I recoiled slightly and widened my stance. The kid was one scary teacher. Elise stood in front of me with a trail leading up an angled cliff behind her. "I'm going to roll that boulder down at you."  
She pointed up the hill at a large boulder sitting at the top of the trail. "If you have the attitude of an earthbender, you'll stay in your stance and stop the rock." My mouth opened, surprised and scared. Kole looked on with concern, apparently just as wary. "Like this."  
Elise lunged toward the boulder with her arms outstretched to illustrate what she meant. Kole walked up to Elise and I.  
"Sorry, Elise, but are you sure this is really the best way to teach Odette earthbending?" he said.  
"I'm glad you said something." She reached down and grabbed my belt, yanking it off and blindfolding me with it. "Actually, there is a better way. This way she'll really have to sense the vibrations of the boulder to stop it. Thank you, Kole!"  
She gave Kole a thumbs-up.  
"Yeah, thanks Kole!" I growled at him sarcastically, even more nervous than I already was.  
"Heh," he laughed lightly and edged away.  
I felt it as she shoved the rock forward and it began to roll down the slope. I looked ahead, worried and afraid as it rolled toward me. My teeth clenched and beads of sweat flowed down my face, my heart feeling like it was going to explode.  
The boulder continued to roll down the hill toward me. Frantic and panicked, my mind blanked and I ripped off my blindfold and jumped over the boulder as it almost hit me. The boulder rolled passed Kole and slammed into the side of the canyon. I landed on the ground safely as Elise ran up to me, glaring at me disapprovingly.  
"I guess I just panicked. I don't know what to say," I said, mentally kicking myself.  
"There's nothing to say. You blew it. You had a perfect stance and perfect form but when it came right down to it you didn't have the guts," she snarled at me.  
She gave me a light punch to the chest that knocked me down. I sat at her feet with my legs crossed, disgusted with myself. I was weak, pathetic, and a miserable excuse for an Avatar.  
"I know. I'm sorry."  
Elise leaned down, looking right into my face.  
"Yeah, you are sorry. If you're not tough enough to stop the rock, then you could at least give it the pleasure of smushing you instead of jumping out of the way like a jelly-boned wimp! Now, do you have what it took to face that rock like an earthbender?!" she yelled.  
I looked down sadly, not meeting her gaze. "No. I don't think I do."  
Elise straightened up and crossed her arms as Kole walked over to comfort me, comfort I didn't deserve. He put his hands on my shoulders.  
"Odette, it's no big deal. You'll take a break and try earthbending again when you're ready. Besides, you still have a lot of waterbending to work on, okay?" he said.  
"Yeah... that sounds good," I said unenthusiastically.  
Kole and I walked off while Elise glared crossly after us.  
"Yeah, whatever, go splash around until you feel better," she growled.  
She walked off in the opposite direction.

Ren:

I was getting more and more agitated by the minute. I had been at this for an hour now and every time I tried to create the lightning I got blown back by an explosion. I was extremely frustrated, mostly with myself.  
I growled and clenched my fist. Uncle looked on while leaning against the building in the background.  
"Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face! Like everything always does!" I exclaimed. I was pathetic, weak, and a disgrace to the throne. Why couldn't, just for once, something go right for me? Why couldn't I have been like my sister and just have everything handed to me.  
No. I was nothing like my sister and I never wanted to be. I was not twisted and evil…I had a sense of humanity. I knew what the right things were and I also knew what the wrong things were…unfortunately I let my desperation get the better of me and I usually opted for the latter choice.  
I had to do this, I had to learn. Athera needed to go down in the end and if I had Uncle by my side my honor and throne would be returned to me, my shame forgotten. I just had to keep going, because that was all I had left to hang onto.  
Uncle got up from his spot and walked over to me as I stood up.  
"I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you," he said."  
I turned to him, angry for a reason I could not place.  
"What turmoil?" I hollered, frustrated and enraged.  
Uncle sighed. "Ren, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."  
"But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!" I denied immediately, knowing that was a lie.  
"Prince Ren, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame," he said calmly.  
I snorted sarcastically. "Well... my life has been nothing but humbling lately."  
Uncle looked to the side. "I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Athera doesn't know, because I made it up myself!"  
He pointed a thumb toward himself and smirked slightly. I looked at him and smiled slightly, grateful for trying to cheer me up.

Alana:

I was bored.  
I was sitting in the middle of a forest, stuck up to my shoulders in the ground, with a baby…thing…on top of my head.  
"You probably think I deserve this, don't you?" I said to the baby. Mostly because I had nothing better to do. The baby creature peered over my forehead and looked at me. "Look, I'm sorry I hunted you, but that's just the natural order of things! Big things eat smaller things, nothing personal. But this time it didn't work out that way."  
The baby yawned and then walked in a circle on my head before lying down again and closing its eyes.  
"I admit it. You're cute," I sighed as the baby began licking its paws. "Okay, you've convinced me. If I get out of this alive, it's a comically correct vegetarian existence for me. No meat. Even though meat is so tasty."  
The baby jumped off of my head and ran off, leaving me alone. A bug flew by and began to buzz around my face. Annoyed by the flying creature, I made a groaning noise as I struggled to swat it away with my trapped hands. The bug landed on my head, and I grunted in defeat. I perked up suddenly as I heard a noise and the bug flew away. The baby was running toward me with an apple in its mouth. It stopped and rolled the apple toward me.  
"Hey, it looked like my karma was already paying off!" I said excitedly.  
The apple stopped between the cub and me, far out of my reach.  
Splendid.  
"That's okay! I got it!" I said, grateful.  
I struggled to reach into my backpack and then tossed my boomerang at the apple. It fell down next to it.  
I glared at it silently for a moment.  
"Now come back, boomerang."  
The cub's tail twitched.

Kole:

I stood in a pond where Odette and I were training. A frog sat on a rock and Fang snatched it in his jaws, but the frog wiggled from his grip. Fang struggled to catch it but fell face-first into the water. Odette and I were waterbending, moving around a ball of water between us.  
"You know the block you're having was only temporary, right?" I told her, smiling gently. She was so sad, and I wished I could take away her troubles.  
"I don't want to talk about it," she said dejectedly.  
I gave her a concerned look. "You do know that's the problem, don't you? If you face this issue instead of avoiding it…"  
"I know I know I know I know, I get it, alright!" she said in frustration and let the ball of water fall back into the pond. "I need to face it head-on, like a rock. But I just can't do it! I don't know why I can't, but I can't."  
"Odette, if fire and water are opposites, then what's the opposite of air?" I asked her calmly.  
She sighed and brushed a blade of grass of her smooth, flat belly. "I guess it's earth."  
"That's why it's so hard for you to get this. You're working with your natural opposite. But you'll figure it out. I know you will." Smiling, I reached behind me and broke off a reed. I hurled it at Odette without warning. "Think fast!"  
Odette looked up in surprise before causing a wave of water to shoot up and slice the reed in half. The two halves sailed harmlessly by her.  
"Excellent. You have the reflexes of a waterbending master," I said, nodding in approval.  
"Thanks, Kole." She paused for a moment and then smiled warmly. "Sifu Kole."  
She put her hands together and bowed, her long dark hard falling in front of her face, brushing the water. Touched, I smiled in return and then bowed as well.

Ren:

Uncle was drawing the symbols of each of the bending disciplines in the dirt with a stick as he explained them. I sat cross-legged nearby, observing intently.  
"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" Uncle smiled widely, but I didn't react, even though all I could think of was Odette when he sad that. He continued as if nothing had happened. "Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."  
I frowned, amazed but confused. "Why are you telling me these things?"  
"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." He drew lines separating the four symbols in the dirt. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."  
"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," I said.  
With everything that he had told me, it was easy for me to see why Odette was so powerful and why I was so drawn to her. Aside from being able to bend like crazy, she had power, desire, will. She was persistent and enduring, free and peaceful. She had the power to change the world and was full of enough love and compassion to heal it.  
"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But, it can make you more powerful too." He pokes my chest with his stick. "You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders."  
I smiled and looked at the symbols Uncle had drawn, intrigued.

Odette:

I was sitting on a rock formation, meditating, with Fang sleeping at my feet. Elise walked up behind me carrying my staff. She sat down on the other side of the rock.  
"Odette! I found these nuts in your bag," she said and held up a green bag with a crudely-drawn picture of my face on it. "I figured you wouldn't mind. And besides, even if you did, you're too much of a pushover to do anything about it."  
She was trying to egg me on, but I refused to take park in her childish game.  
I looked at her out of the corner of my eyes, slightly annoyed.  
"As a matter of fact, I don't mind. I'm happy to share anything I have," I said sincerely.  
I closed my eyes and began to meditate again.  
"You know, I'm really glad you feel that way, because I also have this great new nutcracker." She spun my staff above her head. I looked over my shoulder at her with a pained expression on my face. Elise smiled widely, lifted the staff, and smashed it down on a nut.  
"Actually, I'd prefer if you didn't…" Elise smashed another nut, and I cringed. "That's an antique, hand crafted by the monks…" She did it again and I cringed, growing more frustrated. "It's a delicate instrument!"  
"It's not the only delicate instrument around here," she replied in a mocking tone.  
Elise got up and walked off with Fang, carrying my staff. She hit it along rocks as she walked.  
Why that selfish, bratty little….  
I glared at her and then tried to meditate again. "Ohmmmm…"  
Kole walked up behind me.  
"Hey I, have you seen…"  
"Meditating here!" I snapped, annoyed.  
I turned to look at him and noticed he had worried expression.  
"It's important. It's almost sundown and Alana isn't back yet. I think we should search for her."  
I looked over my shoulder at Kole with a concerned. I used my airbending to stand up and leaped off the rock.  
"We'll find her faster if we split up."

Alana:

The baby creature was biting my ponytail and pulling on it playfully.  
"Okay, karma person or thing, whoever's in charge of this stuff, if I can just get out of this situation alive, I will give up meat and sarcasm. Okay? OW!" The band holding my hair in the ponytail came off after a strong tug by the baby and my hair became a fuzzy mess. "That's all I got! It's pretty much my whole identity! Alana, the meat and sarcasm girl! But I'm willing to be Alana, the veggies and straight talk fellow!...Deal?"  
Suddenly, not too far up the path, Odette ran out in font of me and the cub that had been with me ran off.  
"Odette! Thank goodness! Have you got any meat?" I asked, tears streaming down in relief.  
She ran up to me and stopped in front of my boomerang.  
"Alana! Are you okay?" she asked, her grey eyes wide, her dark brown hair wind blow.  
She bent down and began to tug on my trapped arms.  
I grunted, pain lashing through my fingers and arms. "Stop, stop! You're going to pull my fingers off and I don't think the rest of me is coming!"  
She scratched her head pensively. "Hmm... I bet I can airbend you out of here."  
Odette raised her arms and then slammed them down, causing a huge gust of air to erupt from the crevice that sent dust flying. When the dust cleared, I was still trapped and my hair had been blown up in what resembled a Mohawk. My boomerang came down and hit me in the head, flattening the Mohawk.  
"Seriously, I, I know you're new at it, but I could use a little earthbending here. How about it?" I asked.  
Odette looked unsure before looking down sadly.  
"I can't. I can't do it," she said.

Odette:

I stood in front of Alana, ashamed.  
"If you can't earthbend me out of here, go get Elise," she snapped, annoyed.  
I looked away from her. Elise was already giving me a hard time about this entire thing. If I had to run to her for help then I would never hear the end of it.  
"I can't do that either," I sighed.  
Alana was furious. "You can't? Why not?"  
"It would just be really... Uncomfortable."  
"Uncomfortable? Well, I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable," she said pointedly, glancing at the crevice she was lodged in.  
"Thanks, Alana." I crouched down. "This whole earthbending thing really has me confused. There's so much pressure. Everyone expects me to get it right away. It puts me in a really awkward position."  
Alana nodded. "Awkward position... I think I know the feeling."  
"If I try, I fail. But if I don't try, I'm never going to get it. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place," I explained, feeling a little better knowing I had someone I could talk about this with.  
Just then, a baby mooselion came over and walked around Alana's head.  
"Hmm. How about that," she said sarcastically. When she saw the cub, she motioned to it. "Odette, this is my friend Foo Foo Cuddlypoops. Foo Foo Cuddlypoops, Odette."  
"Aww, what a cute name for a little baby sabertooth mooselion cub," I said, smiling. I reached over and lifted the cub into the air, snuggling it against my chest.  
"Really? He looks nothing like a sabertooth mooselion," Alana said, surprised.  
I ticked it's chin playfully. "It's hard to tell before their giant teeth and horns grow in. Whatcha doin' out here, little guy? Did you lose your mama?"  
The cub blinked at me. Suddenly, there was a deafening roar from right behind me. I looked at the baby, surprised, and then looked over my shoulder. A huge sabertooth mooselion stood in the bushes, snarling furiously. When it saw me holding the baby, it roared again and shook its head.  
Snap.

Ren:

I listened patiently as Uncle and I continued practicing waterbending moves. The sun was setting, and knew we were running out of time.  
"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning."  
I gaped, shocked.  
"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" I stated excitedly, almost in disbelief.  
He nodded, his eyes deathly serious. Apparently this was no easy task.  
"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it." He pointed with his right arm at an angle into the air and pointed at it with his other hand. "You must create a pathway from your fingertips up your arm to your shoulder and down into your stomach." He moved his left hand from his arm, to his shoulder, and then to his stomach. "The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case, it id more like a vast ocean." He laughed but I remained stoic, not finding any humor in his crack at all. He sighed and continued.  
"You direct it up again and out the other arm." He pointed off into the distance with his left arm. "The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart or the damage could be deadly," he said and walked up to me and pointed his fingers at my chest.  
I winced.  
"You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow. Like this." He pointed to the left with both his arms and I mimicked the motion. Uncle then took his right arm and pointed it in the other direction. I copied this move as well. Uncle and I then move our left arms to the right and back again. "Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"  
I nodded, focusing all my attention on this. Like he'd said, if I messed this one up, I was a goner.  
"I think so."  
I continued to mimic the motions Uncle showed me. He began to move his arms in waving motions at his sides.  
"Come on. You've got to feel the flow," he encouraged.  
Later in the evening, Uncle and I were still practicing the motions. Uncle suddenly stopped and stood in front of me.  
"Excellent! You've got it!" he said, smiling like a idiot.  
Pleased with myself, I bowed slightly, putting my hands together.  
"Great! I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" I said excitedly, eager to prove myself.  
Uncle gave me a questioning look.  
"What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous."  
"I thought that was the point: you teaching me how to protect myself from it," I snapped, annoyed.  
His right eye twitched as I spoke.  
"But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" he exclaimed frantically and waved his arms around defensively. He turned away from me and looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "If you are lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all."  
Furious, I gazed off at dark clouds in the distance.  
"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning," I growled. I had to do this and I had to do it now.  
I rode off on my ostrich horse without another word.

Odette:

I stood, frozen, with the baby mooselion in my hands while the mother mooselion stood in the before me.  
"Hey, there... we found your cub!" I said nervously with a smile and raised the baby into the air. The baby yawned. The mother growled and I put the baby on the ground. It ran to its mother and then passed her into the bushes, squealing. "See? We have no problem with you! We're friendly."  
The mooselion roared and shook its head. I glanced down at a terrified Alana, her eyes wide with terror.  
"Odette, this is bad! You gotta get me outta here!" she cried frantically.  
The beast roared and then began to charge. Alana cried out and I airbended the stampeding creature over her head, and it barely passed over her before hitting the ground and spinning around. The mooselion roared loudly and Alana looked up at me with a scared look on her face.  
"This is really bad!" she cried and I grew increasingly worried as Alana spoke. "Please, Odette! You have to earthbend me out, there's no other way!"  
I stomped down, did an uppercut move, and then aimed both hands toward the sky, but Alana didn't budge. I gave her a nervous grin and then turned back to the mooselion. It scraped its paw against the ground and prepared to charge again.  
"Oh no!" I leaped up on a rock outcropping away from Alana. I cupped my hands around my mouth and began to shout at the mooselion. "Whoo-hoo! Look at me!"  
I began to dance and flail about, trying to get the mooselion's attention. The mooselion, however, turned its attention back to Alana and began to charge. I leapt off the rock and shot a gust of air at the mooselion that blew it away from Alana. It landed and spun around again.  
Alana trembled, terrified. "Please don't leave me again."  
"I won't," I promised, determined to protect my friend.  
The mooselion charged toward me. I waited for it, taking up a stance and preparing to use my airbending on it. It neared me and I shoved my hands forward, blowing the mooselion backwards with a strong gust of air. The mooselion hit the ground, glanced at me, and then walked off into the bushes.  
When the dust cleared, I still stood in my stance. Elise was revealed to be sat on a rock, watching the entire thing. She began to clap slowly. I turned to her, shocked. She was sitting cross-legged on a rock, clapping slowly with her eyes closed.  
Alana was just as shocked. "What are you doing here?"  
Elise shrugged. "Just enjoying the show."  
"What? You were there the whole time?" I yelled, outraged.  
"Pretty much."  
I pointed at Elise accusingly. "Why didn't you do something? Alana was in trouble! I was in trouble! You could've gotten her out and helped us get away!"  
Elise looked unaffected by the accusations. "I guess it just didn't occur to me."  
She tossed down a nut and then pulled out my staff to crack it. As she brought it down to strike the nut, I caught it.  
"Enough! I want my staff back!" I yelled forcefully.  
I took the staff from Elise. She stood up and jumped off the rock, standing in front of me.  
"Do it now."  
"What?" I snapped, still angry.  
"Earthbend, twinkletoes. You just stood your ground against a crazy beast, and even more impressive, you stood your ground against me. You've got the stuff."  
"But…"  
"DO IT!"  
I glanced at her with confusion, then stomped down and shoved my fist forward, causing a large rock to shoot off and crash into a ridge.  
"You did it! You're an earthbender," Elise cheered excitedly.  
"I can't believe it!" I said happily, feeling like I could pass out.  
"Aww, this was really a wonderful, touching moment. So, could you get me out of here so I can give you both a big, snuggly hug?" Alana said, annoyed.  
"No problem, Alana!" I said confidently.  
I began to march eagerly toward where Alana was trapped, but Elise held out a hand to stop me.  
"Actually, you should probably let me do that. You're still a little new to this. You might accidentally crush her."  
Alana smiled. "Yeah, no crushing, please."  
Elise walked up to Alana and lifted her left foot, then stomped down. Alana popped out of the hole and Elise grabbed her hair, dragging her out as she walked away.

Kole:

Later in the night, Odette returned with an arm wrapped around Alana to help her walk and Elise walked next to them with Odette's staff. I ran toward them, dizzy with relief. I always never knew what trouble Alana got herself into, and she scared me every time she disappeared.  
"You found her!"  
I ran up to Alana and gave her a hug. Odette and Elise watched.  
"The whole time that I was in that hole, not knowing if I would live or die, it makes a girl think about what's really important. I realized…"  
"Hey, I, look what I can do!" Odette exclaimed, cutting my sister off.  
My gaze turned to Odette as she shoved her arms forward, causing a large rock formation to break in half.  
I was ecstatic.  
"You did it! I knew you would!" I glanced at Elise, smiling. "You tried the positive reinforcement, didn't you?"  
"Yep. It worked wonders."  
Emrys roared and Odette ran up to her.  
"Emrys! Emrys! I can earthbend now! The key is being completely rooted! Physically and mentally unmovable!"  
Emrys licked Odette and she flew forward onto her face. Alana began to laugh and Odette joined her.

Ren:

I stood at the peak of a mountain during a rainstorm, staring at the clouds.  
"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it! And now I can give it back!" I yelled defiantly. Lightning struck in the distance and I glared hatefully at it as the rain poured off of my face. "Come on! Strike me! You've never held back before!"  
Nothing happened. The storm began to subside.  
So enraged I was ready to explode, I closed my eyes and a stream of tears began to flow from my good eye. I raised my arms and shouted before collapsing onto my hands and knees.


	10. Chapter 10: The Library

Odette:

I was bursting with excitement as the group gathered around me. I had been practicing something all morning and I was eager to show them.  
I sat on the ground, cross-legged in a prairie. The landscape was mostly barren save for small blades of grass which bent in the breeze. A range of mountains could be seen in the distance. The ground in front of me was littered with holes.  
"What's out here?" Alana asked, looking around boredly.  
Emrys, Alana, Elise, Kole and Fang stood behind me as I held a thin wooden flute in both hands.  
Elise kneeled and placed her palm on the ground. "A lot actually. There's hundreds of little-"  
I turned around and silenced Elise.  
"Shhh! I know you can see underground, but don't ruin the surprise. Just watch."  
I placed the flute to my lips and played a note. A prairie dog emerged from a hole on my right and sang the same note.  
I watched as the prairie dog descended back into the hole. "Heheheha, yeah!"  
I played another note, and another prairie dog emerged from a hole close to me and sang the same note, just as the previous prairie dog had done. I smiled and raised my hands and the flute above my head.  
"I'm putting an orchestra together."  
Alana stared, looking disinterested. "Orchestra, huh? Well la dee da."  
She gestured from side to side with her hands as she said the last few words. One after the other, a prairie dog emerged from three holes and each sang a note in descending order. They all descended back down their burrows as Fang leapt down the hole to the left. A moment later, his head emerged from the middle hole.  
I played more notes, and each time a different prairie dog emerged from one of the burrows and matched it. Kole laughed as he watched Fang chase after each prairie dog. I was playing another note when Alana ran up to me and plugged her finger into the other end of the flute, muffling the sound and causing my cheeks to swell with air.  
"This is great and all, but don't we have more important things to worry about? We should be making plans," she said. She unplugged her finger and stood up straight, gesturing to her sides with open palms.  
Elise shrugged. "We did make plans. We're all picking mini-vacations."  
Alana groaned. "There's no time for vacations."  
I looked up at Alana. "I'm learning the elements as fast as I can. I practice hard everyday with Elise and Kole. I've been training my arrows off."  
Kole walked forward a few steps.  
"Yeah. What's wrong with having a little fun in our downtime?" he asked.  
Alana crossed her arms. "Even if you do master all of the elements, then what? It's not like we have a map of the fire nation. Should we just head west until we reach the Fire Lord's house?" She mimicked the action of knocking on a door. "Knock, knock! Hello, Fire Lord? Anybody home? I don't think so. We need some intelligence if we're gonna win this war."  
I played one more note on her flute, and a prairie dog popped out of a hole directly underneath Alana and sang, surprising her. Kole laughed at Alana as Fang peeked down the hole. I dropped the flute and bent a small gust of air to get up on my feet.  
"Alright, we'll finish our vacations, and then we'll look for Alana's intelligence," Kole said.  
I chuckled at Kole's joke while he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. We all walked over to Emrys and gathered around a map I opened. On it, there was a town with an iceberg in the middle. To the left of it was a mountain range and several other places.  
"Your turn, Kole," I said and held it out to him. "Where would you like to go on your mini-vacation?"  
Kole leaned towards the map and studied it, placing his hand on his chin.  
After a moment, he placed his finger on the map. "How about the Misty Palms Oasis? That sounds refreshing."  
"Oh yeah, I've been there. It's a pristine natural ice spring, and I usually don't use the word pristine. It's one of nature's wonders."

Kole:

When we reached the Misty Palms Oasis, it was not at all how I thought it would be. Emrys stood outside of the oasis walls. To the left were three sand gliders. Inside the walls were several small houses made of dry mud. There were no palm trees, and the ice spring in the middle was barely visible. Odette, Alana Elise, and I stood outside the gates.  
"Must have changed ownership since I was here," Odette said. She laughed nervously and proceeded through the gates with the rest of the group.  
I smiled slight as our group walked through the gates. An old sign hanging overhead fell to the ground with a loud crash and shattered into several pieces, causing us to turn around in surprise. Brushing it off, we walked past the evaporating ice spring. It was only a few feet high, and a dog with black fur was licking it for water.  
We came to the outside of one of the mud houses. It had a large doorway covered by a green cloth. Loitering outside the doorway were men wearing light brown clothing and wrapped in rags. They glanced at Odette, Elise, Alana and I as we headed inside the building.  
Before Alana could enter, the man closest to her hocked phlegm and spat it at the ground. She stepped back to avoid the spit wad as it landed. She looked down in disgust, then glared at the man, frowning and balling up her fists. He was wearing a white visor with thin, rectangular slits across his eyes. He straightened and gave her a toothless smirk.  
The man was leaning against the wall and Alana was still glaring at her. I quickly turned around and pulled her away and into the doorway, in order to prevent a fight from breaking out. Inside the building, we entered and stared at our surroundings.  
It appeared to be a restaurant, illuminated by dim lamps hanging from poles. To the left, two patrons sat at a wooden table. One of them took a swig from a cup he held. At a table in the middle was a man wearing a tall orange hat who had fallen asleep, resting his head on the table's surface. His shoulders rose and fell as he snored. To the left was a bar, decorated with various overhanging fruit. Sitting at a stool was another sleeping man wearing dull green clothing and a white headband.  
The bartender was bald and had a short brown beard. He was wearing a green tunic, a white apron and brown armbands around his biceps. There were two thin swords hanging across his back by leather straps, forming an X. Speaking to the bartender was a man wearing loose white clothing and a circular white hat. Hanging from his back were a backpack and a sleeping bag. From his waist hung a large leather pouch.  
"One mango, please," the man asked politely.  
The bartender nodded. To his left were stacks of bowls and to his right was a double handled pitcher with a long, narrow neck. The bartender pulled both swords from their sheaths. He swung at one of the bowls, cutting it from the stack, then picked it up with both swords and placed it on a cutting board in the middle. He then cut down four fruits that were hanging overhead, two large yellow ones and two smaller red ones. The bartender then proceeded to rapidly dice the fruit into several smaller pieces with both swords and dumped them and some water into a bowl to complete the drink.  
The bartender placed the bowl drink in the middle of the cutting board. He dropped a bamboo straw and a small, green umbrella into the bowl as the finishing touch. The man in white took the drink and dropped an Earth Kingdom coin on the board which the bartender took. Odette and I were smiling at the bartender's skill while Alana stared thoughtfully with her hand placed against her chin.  
"I didn't see anything wrong with having one of those fruity beverages while we plan our strategy," she said.  
Alana grinned and walked towards the bar, shoving Odette and Elise in the process. She ran towards it, followed by Odette and I.  
She signaled to the bartender. "Excuse me!"  
The man in white took his drink and turned around, but then bumped into Odette, causing him to spill it onto her. I gasped as I witnessed the accident, Alana stared at the man in white, and Odette looked down at her wet clothes.  
Odette looked back up at the man with a smile. "No worries, I clean up easy."  
Odette placed her knuckles together in front of her chest and bent a gust of air around her body, drying her clothes and causing everyone else's clothes to be blown back. The man in white grabbed the brim of his hat to keep it from being blown away and gasped at Odette with amazement.  
"You're a living relic!" he said in awe.  
Odette shrugged daintily. "Thanks. I try."  
The man placed a hand to his chin.  
"An Air Nomad, right in front of me." The man placed his right fist into his left hand and gave a slight bow to Odette, who bowed as well. "Professor Louie, head of anthropology at Eralith University." He grabbed Odette's slender hand and examined it. "Tell me, which of the Air temples do you hail from?"  
"The southern temple."  
Professor Louie began measuring Odette's skull with a pair of calipers and speaking excitedly. "Oh, splendid! Now tell me, what was the primary agricultural product of your people?"  
"Uh, are fruit pies an agricultural product?" she asked nervously.  
I watched him, slightly annoyed. I wished he wouldn't look at her like she was some sort of lab rat or something.  
Professor Louie placed a hand on Odette's shoulder. "Oh, truly fascinating. That is one for the journal."  
Alana, Elise, and I were all holding drinks and standing behind Odette and Louie. Louie pulled a pen and note pad from his back pack and began writing in it.  
Alana frowned. "So professor, you're obviously a well traveled guy. Do you have a more current map? Ours seems to be a little dated."  
Professor Louie nodded. "Certainly."  
He handed it to her and she walked over to a vacant table, unrolling the map onto it. As we all gathered around it, Elise laid across two chairs, her legs crossed and sipping her fruit drink. Odette was now also holding a drink of her own. Alana took a moment to examine the map.  
"What, no Fire Nation?" she complained, straitening her back. "Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place?"  
I placed a hand on the map. On it there was large desert with several paths drawn on to it.  
"You've made a lot of trips into the desert," I pointed out.  
"All in vain, I'm afraid. I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom," he said and raised his fist slightly. "But I haven't managed to find the crown jewel... Dianthus's Library."  
Elise laid down, her feet in the air, showing her dirt stained soles. "You spent years walking through the desert to find some guy's library?"  
"This library is more valuable than gold, little lady," he said and raised his palms in a gesture. "It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge, and knowledge...is priceless."  
"Mm, sounds like good times," Elise replied sarcastically.  
"Oh, it is. According to legend, it was built by the great knowledge spirit, Dianthus, with the help of his foxy knowledge seekers," Louie said dreamily.  
"Oh, so this spirit has attractive assistants, huh?" I asked, smirking.  
Alana gave my head a small shove. "I think he means they look like actual foxes, Kole."  
"Not exactly. Wolves…handsome little creatures." He reached into his pouch and pulled out and unrolled a large parchment. "Dianthus and his knowledge seekers collected books from all over the world, and put them on display for mankind to read, so that we might better ourselves."  
Louie placed the parchment down on the table. On it was an architectural drawing of a building with many domes and spires.  
"If this place has books from all over the world, do you think they've got info on the Fire Nation? A map maybe?" Alana asked.  
Odette came over, sipping her drink through the bamboo straw.  
"I wouldn't know, but if such a thing exists, it's in Dianthus's Library," Louie said.  
Alana put a hand to her chin and thought for a second.  
"Then it's settled. Odette, I do believe it's my turn. I'd like to spend my vacation…AT THE LIBRARY!" she cried out in a comically deep voice, her finger raised in the air.  
Elise waved her hand to gain the our attention. "Uh, hey? What about me? When do I get to pick?"  
Alana crossed her arms. "You gotta work here a little longer before you qualify for vacation time."  
Elise slammed her bowl on the table before crossing her arms and pouting.  
Professor Louie turned back to us. "Of course there's the matter of finding it. I've made several trips into the Airion Desert, and almost died each time. I'm afraid that desert's impossible to cross."  
Alana and Odette exchanged knowing glasses.  
"Professor, would you like to see our dragon?" Odette asked.  
Professor Louie was amazed. "A dragon? You actually have one?"  
Oh yes we did.

Odette:

Outside, Emrys and several of the men in rags stood outside the oasis walls. Emrys growled at them threateningly and the men and scooted away. Louie ran over to the blue scaled dragon in awe.  
"Sandbenders! Shoo! Away from the dragon!" Louie said commandingly, glaring at them.  
The sandbenders walked away, grumbling, and got onboard one of the sand gliders. One of them bent a whirlwind of sand underneath the sail, causing the glider to be driven forward. I watched the sandbenders' retreating forms, with Alana, Kole and Louie behind me.  
Without wasting another moment, we all got on and soon Emrys flew off towards the desert horizon. Elise, Kole and Alana sat in Emrys's saddle. Kole had taken his shirt off and tied it onto his head to protect himself from the sun, exposing his flat, well muscled stomach. Alana took a spyglass and turned to the side. Louie, Fang, and I sat on Emrys's head.  
Alana was looking out in the distance with the spyglass as Louie climbed forward. Cut to a shot of Emrys from below. Louie stuck his head out so he could speak to the flying dragon.  
"Tell me, dragon. Are you the last of your breed?"  
Emrys responded by giving a low roar.  
Professor Louie was excited. "Oh, delightful! I only wish I spoke her tongue." Louie ran his fingers through Emrys's wing feathers as Fang came over and stared yapping. "Oh, the stories this beast could tell. Shush, chatty wolf."  
I examined the drawing of the library.  
"Wow, shouldn't be too hard to find a place like this out here," I said.  
The drawing gently fluttered in my hands as I looked around. Hours flew by and it was well into midday.  
Elise grew frustrated.  
"Aw, does this place even exist?" she groaned after a while.  
Professor Louie smiled and held his finger up. "Some say it doesn't."  
"Shouldn't you have mentioned that before?" Elise fell onto her side and groaned, putting her dirty feet over the saddle's edge. Emrys gave a low roar. Louie continued to sit in the saddle, writing down notes. Elise suddenly sat up and pointed out into the desert.  
"There it was!" she exclaimed in excitement.  
Kole and Alana jumped up excitedly as well, looking in the direction Elise was pointing. I frowned, shaking my head. All there was to see was empty sand dunes that passed by. Kole, Alana, and I turned towards Elise and glared at her for tricking us.  
"That's what it will sound like when one of you spots it." She turned to us and gave us a blank grin, waving her hand in front of her eyes to remind us of the fact that she was blind. She quickly went back to clutching the saddle.  
Emrys continued flying over the desert. Alana was searching for the library through her spyglass and Kole was using his hand as a visor. I was fatigued, and Fang had fallen asleep in my lap.  
Kole sighed in frustration. "It shouldn't be this hard to spot a giant ornate building from the air."  
Alana frowned as she looked through her spy glass. Suddenly her eyes flew wide and she pointed. "Down there. What's that?"  
I perked up, causing Fang to be awakened. Kole and I both looked in the direction Alana was pointing and I spotted a thin spire sticking out of sand dune. Emrys quickly descended down to the spire. We landed and looked up at it, our hopes plummeting swiftly.  
Kole was disappointed. "Forget it. It's obviously not what we're looking for. The building in this drawing is enormous."  
We all turned our heads as something glimmered atop one of the sand dunes in the distance. A large gray wolf climbed over the top of the dune. In its mouth was a scroll. It paused and turned to look at us, the scroll in its mouth glinting in the sunlight. The wolf continued and walked off.  
"What kind of animal is that?" Alana asked.  
The wolf galloped towards the spire's base. Instead of stopping, the wolf began running up the spire at a ninety degree angle.  
"I think that is one of the knowledge seekers," Louie said.  
The wolf jumped through a window near the top of the spire and disappeared.  
Professor Louie was bouncing with excitement. "Oh, we must be close to the library!"  
Alana, Kole, and I all looked at the drawing, comparing it to the spire.  
"No, this is the library," she gasped, pointing up at the spire. "Look! It's completely buried."  
She brought her finger down and pointed at the drawing. The drawing of the library had exactly the same spire.  
Professor Louie started shouting in despair. He ran forward before falling to his hands and knees, depressed.  
"The library is buried! My life's ambition is now full of sand." After a moment, his head suddenly snapped back up, smiling and he lifted a small shovel in his hand. "Well, time to start excavating."  
He attempted to unearth the library using the tiny shovel. Elise rolled her blind eyes and walked forward, placing her palm against the spire's pearly white surface.  
"Actually, that won't be necessary. The inside seems to be completely intact, and it's huge," she said, amazed.  
Alana nodded. "That wolf thingy went in through a window. I say we climb up there and give it a look."  
Elise crossed her arms and leaned against the spire nonchalantly. "I say you guys go ahead without me."  
Kole frowned curiously. "You got something against libraries?"  
She gave him an annoyed look. "I've held books before, and I gotta tell you, they don't exactly do it for me."  
He looked and me and I waved my hands in font of my eyes pointedly. He turned back to her, gave a nervous laugh, and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, right. Sorry."  
Elise walked back over to Emrys. "Let me know if they have something you can listen to."  
Alana's boomerang, with a rope tied to it, was thrown through the window. Alana began climbing the rope as Kole and Louie and I watched.  
As the others started climbing as well, I turned and petted Emrys. "Don't worry buddy. I'm not making you go underground ever again. You can stay out here with Elise."  
I hugged her and walked away as Elise crossed her arms and both she and Emrys looked away from each other. They then looked back at each other, Emrys giving a soft grunt. Both stared at each other a moment.  
"What's up?" she asked.  
I shook my head as I reached the top of the spire and lowered myself into the dark, cool library. Inside of the spire, Louie, Alana, Kole, and I descended the rope. A floor could be seen at the bottom. Fang was cradled safely in my arms as we lowered down into a large room.  
Professor Louie was in awe, as usual. "Oh, it's breath taking. The spirits spared no expense designing this place."  
The large room was supported by many pillars and archways. The visage of an owl was carved into the arcs.  
"Look at those beautiful buttresses!" Louie exclaimed, his eyes wide.  
Alana and I both chuckled at the word 'buttresses.'  
Professor Louie looked up at us curiously. "What's funny?"  
"Nothing. We just like architecture," I shrugged, still smiling.  
Professor Louie smiled in return. "As do I."  
We finally reached the bottom and landed on a wide, cross shaped bridge that connected to each side of the room. Past the archways were long rows of bookshelves. The area was dimly lit by green lamps hanging from the walls. The floors were made of some sort of pearly white stone and black onyx molding that highlighted the tiny details. Louie pushed his hat back and gazed at the top of the room.  
"My word!"  
A large owl mosaic sat across the top of an arc. Alana, Kole and I walked through, looking around, Fang by my feet, brushing against my leg.  
"The exquisite mosaic handiwork of this tile-rendered avian symbol…" We all stared at Louie in complete and total confusion. He smiled slightly and pointed to the owl awkwardly. "Eh, nice...owl."  
We all suddenly turned at the sound of great feathers rustling. Kole and Alana took off running down and an archway and hid behind a large pillar to the right. I took Louie's hand and pulled him behind the pillar on the left. An enormous, stark black owl with a white face walked through an archway and onto the bridge. It was very beautiful and majestic looking. I peeked at the owl from behind the pillar where I saw it examining the rope. It began to turn its head to the left. It then turned its head around three hundred and sixty degrees, revealing two white spots on the back of its head that resembled eyes.  
"I know you're back there," he said in a warm, mystic voice.  
Louie smiled and walked out onto the bridge. I tried to grab after him, shaking my head, but missed him by mere inches.  
"Hello! I'm Professor Louie, head of anthropology at Eralith University," he said to the owl excitedly.  
My eye wide with terror, I watched as Louie bowed to the owl who towered above him.  
"You should leave the way you came." The owl turned his head to the left. "Unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology."  
He gestured to three stuffed animal heads hanging from a pillar, and I gasped, stumbling backwards. Suddenly I felt a hand lock around my mouth and hug me tightly, keeping me from screaming. It was Kole, who had snuck over while the owl was occupied. I realized that I had been breathing very loudly and I needed to calm myself down. He let go of me and I nodded.  
Louie rubbed his neck and groaned nervously as Kole, Alana and I walked onto the bridge.  
"Are you the spirit who brought this library to the physical world?" Alana asked cautiously.  
The owl nodded. "Indeed, I am Dianthus, he who knows ten-thousand things. And you are obviously humans, which by the way are no longer permitted in my study."  
I frowned. "What do you have against humans?"  
Dianthus paused for a moment. "Hmm, humans only bother learning things to get the edge on other humans, like that firebender who came to this place a few years ago, looking to destroy his enemy."  
"So," he said and quickly brought his face close to Alana's, startling her. "Who are you trying to destroy?"  
Alana starred at her reflection in Dianthus's large black eye, frightened.  
She smiled nervously and waved her hand in protest. "What? Oh, no, no, no destroying, we're not into that."  
"Then why have you come here?"  
Alana's eyes widened as she tried to think of an answer. "Um, knowledge, for, knowledge's sake."  
"If you're going to lie to an all-knowing spirit being, you should at least put some effort into it," Dianthus said bitterly.  
"I'm not lying. I'm here with the Avatar," she said and pointed behind with her thumbs and pulled me in front of her. "And she's the bridge between our worlds, she'll vouch for me."  
She patted me on the shoulder before nudging me in the back sharply.  
"Ow," I snapped and glared at her before returning my attention to the intimidating spirit. "Uh, yeah, I'll vouch. We will not abuse the knowledge in your library, good spirit. You have my word."  
Everyone bowed respectfully to Dianthus.  
He considered. "Hmm, very well. I'll let you peruse my vast collection, on one condition. To prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge."  
I took a step back as Louie stepped forward, kneeled, and presented a thick tome.  
"Please accept this tome as a donation to your library," he said.  
Dianthus nodded. "First edition, very nice."  
Dianthus passed his wing over the tome, causing it to vanish from Louie's hands. Louie stepped back and Kole stepped forward, holding open a waterbending scroll.  
"I have an authentic waterbending scroll," he said.  
"Oh... these illustrations are quite stylish." Dianthus took the scroll and Kole bowed his head to the spirit.  
I paused with my finger to my chin, thinking of what to give Dianthus.  
"Uh, oh, I know!" I gasped and pulled a scroll from my shirt collar and presented it, revealing it to be a Fire Nation wanted poster of myself. "Ha!"  
Dianthus examined the poster and took my offering. "I suppose that counts."  
Alana walked up to the knowledge spirit.  
Alana began and held a piece a string between her fingers. The rest of us stood behind her, puzzled  
"Oh, great spirit. Check this out!" She quickly tied the string into a butterfly shaped knot and held it out. "Ta da!"  
Dianthus stared at her in total silence, Alana still holding the knot.  
"It's a special knot! That counts as knowledge," she said when the spirit remained still.  
Dianthus spoke after a brief pause. "You're not very bright, are you?"  
Alana frowned and groaned at the spirit's comment. The knot was quickly snatched by Dianthus's wing.  
"Enjoy the library," he said with a slight nod. Dianthus turned and jumped off the bridge, extending his wings. He soared down to the library's lowers levels and disappeared into the darkness. Alana stared after Dianthus with contempt.  
"Bright enough to fool you," she growled under her breath.

Elise:

Emrys and I sat in the spire's shadow. I was dying of boredom and I wished Alana would hurry up whatever it was she was doing.  
"So, you like flyin'?" I asked the dragon and she fixed a sapphire blue eye on me.  
Emrys responded by grunting and cleaning a wing.  
"Of course, I'm more comfortable on the ground, where I can see. Well, I don't see the way you do. I feel the vibration in the ground with my feet," I explained to her, picking up a handful of sand and letting it sift through my fingers. "But this sand was so loose and shifty, it made everything look fuzzy."  
Emrys sat up and yawned loudly.  
"Not that there's anything wrong with fuzzy," I said awkwardly, patting her thin coating feathers.

Alana:

We were in a large hall of bookshelves that stretched up to the tall ceiling. Between the shelves were a large statue of a bird resembling a phoenix. Odette, Kole, Louie, a large wolf, and I stood to the left next to a bookshelf. Odette and Fang sat down and the wolf placed a book onto a shelf. Odette was holding a book, and her staff was leaning against the bookshelf. Odette flipped a page in the book and smiled. On it was an illustration of a giant turtle with the face of a lion looming over a man wearing a long robe. Behind it were two other lion-faced turtles. Odette held the book up to us.  
"Hey, look at these weird lion turtle things," she said.  
I pulled a book from the shelf while Kole leaned against the shelf and read a book in the background. I glanced at Odette's book and shrugged.  
"Eh, I've seen weirder."  
Kole walked over to her and I rolled my eyes. Even after she'd told him to buzz off my brother just didn't know when to quit.  
"Odette, did you know in a past life, you were left handed?" he asked.  
Odette smiled and scratched the back of her head, ruffling her long, dark brown hair slightly.  
"I always knew I was special."  
Louie grabbed several more books from the shelves, stacking them in his hands. I walked past him and saw a scroll sticking out from one of the shelves. Curious, I pulled it out, unrolled, examining the scroll before slipping it into my bag. I looked up and saw a short pedestal displaying a piece of paper covered in glass. I walked towards it and looked at the paper beneath the glass. Its edges had been burned and there was something written on it. As I read the writing, I placed a hand to my chin.  
"The darkest day in Fire Nation history. It's got a date at the top, but it doesn't say anything else," I murmured.  
I took out my machete and used it to lift the corner of the glass sheet and slipped the burned paper out from under it. I rolled up the paper and walked over to the side. Odette, Fang, Kole and Louie walked in from behind a bookshelf.  
"Alana, where are you going?" Odette asked.  
I turned around and held the paper up.  
"I want to know what happened to the Fire Nation on their darkest day. This could be promising," I explained and we started running through the library. "The information on the Fire Nation should be right up here."  
We walked towards an ornate door at the end of a hall. Above the doorway was a large red tapestry with the symbol of fire on it. We all froze as we walked through the doorway and took in the interior of the room. It was filled with the burned debris of books and bookshelves. Louie took a few steps forward and Fang padded into the room.  
"Firebender," Odette murmured.  
"They destroyed everything having to do with the Fire Nation," Kole finished, his eyes wide.  
"That's so unfair!" I snarled in frustration, grabbing my own dark hair. "Just when I think I'm one step ahead of the Fire Nation, it turned out they beat us here a long time ago."  
I fell to my knees and after a few moments, I picked my head up. "I need to know what happened on the darkest day."  
Suddenly, I heard a wolf whimper and I turned my head around to see it. The wolf was standing up on it's hind legs, watching me intently.  
"Hello, little weird wolf guy," I said nervously, very aware that he was a servant to the owl.  
The wolf whimpered again and turned around, pointing its nose down the hall. Louie pointed at the wolf.  
"Seems it's trying to assist you," he said.  
"Um, sure, I'll guess I'll follow you," I said uncertainly. It wasn't like I had much of a choice now that those dirty…  
We followed the seeker as it ran up to a wall with a sun symbol on it before turning and running off to the right. The rest of us walked forward, staring at the large symbol. The wolf crawled though a hole located in the wall. The center of the symbol slowly rolled to the side, creating an opening. The center rolled to the side, revealing the wolf sitting behind it. It made a small whimper when it saw us and we entered.  
The room was dome shaped and on the walls were painted mountains, clouds and the sky. The whole area was dark, illuminated only by light from outside the door. In the center of the room a large stone pedestal stood.  
The wolf pushed a lever next to the pedestal. I looked around the area in surprise as the false sky filled with stars, all revolved. We all looked up in wonder, the light of the stars passing over us. There was a moon symbol attached to a mechanical device as it moved across the sky.  
"The room is a true marvel. A mechanical wonder!" Louie said and placed his hands on his head and smiled. "It's a planetarium that shows the heavens moving."  
"Uh, this is beautiful, but, how is it helpful?" I mused.  
We all stood around the pedestal while I examined it. It had a slightly domed top, and circling it were different symbols. There was a yin-yang in the center. The outmost symbols depicted animals. Louie walked over and began examining the pedestals.  
"Maybe these dials represent dates and times," Kole said and pointed to the dials. "Alana, try entering that date from the parchment you took."  
"Shh! Kole!" I snapped. I placed my hand in front of his mouth and began whispering, eyeing the wolf warily. "Not in front of the wolf, he's with the owl."  
The wolf lowered its head and put its ears back, whimpering dejectedly. I slightly raised the burned parchment out from my bag, examined it and adjusted the dials. I pushed the lever forward and the machine began to operate, the sun symbol moving.  
"Wow, I gotta hand it to you I. You picked the best mini-vacation, for sure," Odette said.  
The sky changed back to day but the room suddenly became dimmer. The moon symbol was in the sky as well.  
Kole was confused. "Hey wait, what happened to the sun?"  
"Great, you must have broken it," Odette groaned, shaking her head at me.  
It took me a moment but I finally figured out what happened. "It's not broken."  
to make sure my haunch was correct, I stared at the moon symbol. The edge of the sun symbol could be seen peeking from behind it.  
"The sun is behind the moon, it's a solar eclipse! It's literally the darkest day in Fire Nation history. Now I get it!" I gasped and grabbed Odette by the shoulders and turned her. "Something awful happened on that day, I don't know what, but I do know why."  
Louie was writing in his notebook and Kole watched as I shook Odette.  
"Firebenders loose their bending during a solar eclipse!" I announced and pushed Odette and let go of her, causing the Avatar some discomfort. "Sorry."  
Kole nodded.  
"That makes sense. I mean, think of what the lunar eclipse at the North Pole did to the waterbenders. This is huge," Kole said, running a hand through his dark hair.  
The wolf whimpered again. It was at my feet as it whimpered and raised both its front paws, as a dog would when it begged for a treat. I smiled as I looked at the wolf.  
"Fine, you earned it," I said and pulled a treat from my bag and threw it to him. The wolf caught it in his mouth and ran off.  
"We've got to get this information to the Earth King at Eralith. We'll wait for the next eclipse, then we'll invade the Fire Nation when they're totally helpless. The Fire Lord is goin' down!" I announced triumphantly.  
My victory was short lived.  
The smile was quickly replaced by a frown as a dark shadow loom over me. My blood ran cold in terror as Dianthus approached us. I spun and backed away from the knowledge spirit, terrified.  
"Mortals are so predictable," he growled. "And such terrible liars."  
We all stood in Dianthus's shadow, staring with fright. I gulped.  
Not good.

Odette:

Dianthus stood the planetarium's doorway, he focused on me with his beady black eye and I stared at my terrified reflection.  
"You betrayed my trust. From the beginning you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes," he growled, his silky voice dangerous.  
"You don't understand," Alana said defensively and raised a fist. "If anyone's evil, it's the Fire Nation. You saw what they did to your library. They're destructive and dangerous. We need this information."  
"You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified?" Dianthus leaned towards us. "Countless others before you have come here, seeking weapons or weaknesses or battle strategies."  
"We had no choice. Please, we're just desperate to protect the people we love," I pleaded desperately.  
"And now I'm going to protect what I love." Dianthus began beating his great wings, causing a strong gust throughout the planetarium and swirling my hair about, blinding me. We braced ourselves against the wind as it increased in intensity.  
"What are you doing?" I yelled over the howling wind.  
"I'm taking my knowledge back. No one will ever abuse it again," Dianthus said, still beating his wings.  
I looked up towards the ceiling. Sand was seeping through the walls.  
"He's sinking the building! We've gotta get out of here!" Kole screamed and grabbed my arm.  
Dianthus's neck grew several feet longer and feathers resembling horns appeared on his head. We all watched in terror as the spirit transformed into an even more frightening beast.  
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You already know too much." The spirit lifted his head high into the air before screeching and lunging forward.  
We jumped out of the way, barely escaping the razor sharp beak. Dianthus hit the floor, causing it to crack. He chased after us as we fled the planetarium, shouting with fright. Alana, Kole, Louie, I and Fang ran out of the planetarium as the entire building began to shake.

Elise:

Emrys head suddenly lifted her head up and gave a loud roar.  
"I already told you, I don't want to snuggle," I snapped.  
I grunted as Emrys stood up and walked off, causing me to fall back. Annoyed, I picked myself off the ground. I stood and realized that the spire we had been leaning against was slowly starting to sink.  
"The library's sinking. The library's sinking!" I shouted, worried for my friends.  
I ran up to the spire before jabbing my hands into its surface. I grunted as I attempted to hold the library up, my feet sinking into the sand. After much effort, the spire slowed down and stopped sinking.

Odette:

The group and I ran frantically down one of the long hallways. Streams of sand were pouring from the ceiling and forming small pools on the floor. Dianthus burst through the arch we had just ran under, destroying it, and continued to chase us furiously.  
As Kole, Alana, Louie, Fang, and I ran down another hallway, Dianthus flew swiftly over the floor, causing bits of rubble to go flying in his wake. We ran across a bridge and Louie stopped and turned around, yelping and gasping for breath. He still held a large stack of books.  
Stupid!  
Professor Louie spoke in a frightened and exasperated voice. "Great knowledge spirit, I beg you. Do not destroy your vast collection of priceless tomes."  
Louie stood on the bridge as Dianthus quickly approached. I looked back as I ran across the bridge. I hopped and twisted in the air, bending a vacuum between my hands. Louie was pulled back by the vacuum just before Dianthus attacked the spot where he stood. Louie yelled as he was pulled back, causing him to drop all of his books and slide across the floor. Alana and Kole caught him.  
Dianthus flew across the bridge in pursuit. I hopped forward, twisted in the air, and swung my staff in an upward arc as I landed, bending a strong gust of air. The gust collided with Dianthus, causing the spirit to be knocked over the side of the bridge. The spirit fell down to the lower levels of the library, bouncing off railings and disappearing into the dark.  
That was going to come back to bite me.  
"We've gotta get back to the surface," I yelled at the others, taking off with them following close behind.  
I turned a corner and ran down a hallway. Kole, Fang and Louie followed after me, but Alana stayed behind, looking hesitant. I turned my head and looked back at the bridge.  
"Alana, let's go!" Kole shouted.  
Alana glared at him. "But we still don't know when the next eclipse was gonna happen."  
"Don't be stupid, we'll find out later," her brother snapped.  
Alana stood across from Kole defiantly.  
"No, we won't," she argued and gestured to the side. "If we leave this place we'll never get the information. Odette, come with me to the planetarium, I need cover," she said.  
Knowing there was no time to argue with her, I ran over to join Alana. Kole, Louie and Fang stared after us in shock.  
"Kole, take Fang and get out of here," Alana growled at him.  
"But-"  
Kole was cut off by a large crash from the left, causing him and Louie to flinch. Dianthus emerged from the dust between Kole and Alana.  
"Go!" Alana yelled.  
Kole, Fang and Louie ran off as Dianthus screeched and chased after them.  
"Hurry, Alana!" I heard Kole call after us.  
Alana and I turned away and ran towards the bridge, all the while I felt a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Kole:

Louie and I ran down the hallway.  
I was furious. My stupid, idiotic sister was going to get us all killed and there was nothing I could do about it but pray she and Odette would make it out.  
Louie ran off to the right between two bookshelves as Dianthus crashed around behind us. He fell to the ground with a grunt and covered his head as Dianthus ran past, not noticing him. Louie opened his eyes and made sure it was safe. He looked to his right and pulled a large book from the shelf and grins widely.  
Was I just surrounded by morons today?  
I continued running and panting, Fang racing along beside me. I turned my head to see what was behind me and spotted Dianthus as he swooped down and screeched, his face closing in on me.

Elise:

I struggled to hold up the library and Emrys stood behind me. As I strained to keep the building from going under, my arms began to tremble. I barely felt it as Emrys turned her head around and I turned my head as well, wondering what else could go wrong.  
"What is it now?"  
I felt tiny vibrations and realized that three sand gliders were driving through the desert. Someone shot off a shock wave of sand. The sand shockwave quickly closed in hit Emrys, swirling around her.  
"Who's there?" I yelled angrily, trying to keep hold on the spire and look out for Emrys.  
The sand gliders were circling Emrys. A sandbender jumped off of a glider, bending a whirlwind of sand as he landed.

Odette:

Alana and I sprinted across a bridge. The walls were crumbling and more sand was pouring in. we finally reached the doorway of the planetarium and we ran inside.  
This was crazy…she was crazy…and I was crazy for letting her do this.  
"Why are we doing this?" I asked her, starting to run out of breath.  
"Because if this calendar can tell us about eclipses in the past, then maybe it can project when the next one will be," she said and removed her bag from her shoulder and turned the dial.  
"You can't possibly check every single date," I told her, glancing around warily.  
"I don't have to," she grunted as she turned the dial. "We just have to check every date before Ezra's comet arrives, because after that... Well, try not to think about that."  
I watched the dial as the date on it changed. Alana kept on trying different dates on the machine for several minutes and the building continued to fill with more and more sand.  
"Come on, eclipse!" I groaned.  
After a while, the moon symbol came in from the left and stopped over the sun symbol, creating the desired eclipse.  
"That's it, the solar eclipse!" Alana breathed in relief. "It's just a few months away."  
I grinned as Alana wrote down the date of the eclipse.  
"Got it," she said and put the date into her bag. "Now, let's get to Eralith."

Elise:

The sandbenders surrounded Emrys.  
Using a series of ropes with bags of sand tied to the ends for added weight, the sandbenders systematically pinned her down. Emrys resisted, but began to weaken. I still held the library and there wasn't much I could do but turn my head around.  
"Don't make me put this down," I said.  
I let go of the spire and turned around to attack, extending my right hand and bending a wave of sand at the sandbenders blindly. The spire began sinking again. I could feel that the sand wave passed by them, missing by a few feet. I turned back around and thrust my hands back into the spire. Behind me Emrys was brought down and dragged away. The sand gliders pulled the dragon over the sand and away from me. Emrys gave a frightened groan and I grew flustered.  
I could save her, but then that would mean Odette and Kole and Alana would die…and the world needed Odette alive more than ever.  
"No, stop sinking!" I begged, tears coming to my eyes.  
I let go of the spire again, bending waves of sand in random directions, first to the right, then left, then right again. I turned back around and thrust my palms back into the surface of the spire.  
"No! I'm sorry Emrys," I said sadly.  
There was nothing I could do.  
I squeezed my eyes shut as Emrys was dragged away into a cloud of dust.

Kole:

Fang and I continued running for out lives through the library. Panting, I turned my head to look behind me. Dianthus was drawing closer, opening his beak and screeching. I ran toward a bookshelf before turning right and running down the main hallway, Dianthus quickly following after.  
Out of breath and confused, I leaned against the side of a bookshelf, frightened, panting and clutching Fang. I looked to my right. Dianthus stuck his neck between the bookshelves. He quickly spied Fang's tail sticking out from the edge of the bookshelf.  
"At least I'll have one specimen to add to my collection," he said and lunged after Fang and I. I yelped in fright and got up and ran between the bookshelves. Dianthus pecked the ground where I sat and chased after. I ran down the hallway and turned right at a corner.  
I finally found the bridge where the rope was dangling. I skidded along the ground and ran onto the bridge. Dianthus flew past before turning and walking on to the bridge. I stopped running and turned to face the knowledge spirit, sliding into a waterbending stance, my arm poised over my water flask. The rope was only a few feet behind me but there was no way I could make it out alive. Dianthus's shadow passed over me as he closed in.  
"Your waterbending won't do you much good here. I've studied Northern Water Style, Southern Water Style, even Foggy Swamp Style," Dianthus growled. He raised his head and wings and prepared to attack.  
Panicked, I looked up at the hole in the ceiling where the rope was dangling. Light from the outside was pouring down. Odette suddenly flew across on her glider, with Alana holding on.  
Alana let go of the glider and fell down towards Dianthus, raising a large book above her head. With a mighty cry, she brought the book down and smashed it against Dianthus's head. Alana jumped off of his head and I quickly jumped out of the way as Dianthus wavered and fell forward. Alana held the book, breathing hard and sweating bullets. Fang growled at the owl as many of Dianthus's feathers floated around the area.  
"That's called Alana style," Alana cried out, swinging her fist to the side as she said this. "Learn it!"  
More streams of sand started to pour in from above. Alana climbed on top of Dianthus and began climbing the rope. I followed after her and Odette glided past us. Alana stopped suddenly and looked back down.  
"Wait!" she cried and pointed to Louie, who was sitting between two bookshelves. "Professor, let's go!"  
Alana gestured for Louie to follow. He was surrounded by several dozen stacks of books on the floor. The sand was building up and beginning to cover some of the stacks. Louie was reading a scroll happily.  
"I'm not leaving. I can't," Louie said and dropped the parchment to his lap and raised his right fist. "I've spent too long trying to find this place. There's not another collection of knowledge like this on Earth. I could spend an eternity in here."  
Well your going to you fool!  
Alana and I looked at the professor and I shook my head, pushing her forward slightly.  
"Just go!"  
The rope began swaying back and forth violently. Dianthus was awake and shrieking, swinging the rope back and forth with his beak, trying to throw Alana and I off it. Odette glided down as Alana and I both lost our grip and fell down. Odette swooped down and I grabbed the tail of the glider. Alana wrapped her arms around my waist, clutching Fang in her arms.  
Dianthus whipped the rope around. Odette, Alana, Fang, and I flew up desperately. Dianthus flapped his wings and flew after us. Odette struggled as she carried us up the inside of the spire. The spirit began to gain on Odette and I prayed we would make it. Dianthus tried to grab Alana with his beak, but missed when Alana pulled her feet up.  
We escaped just in time through the spire window and Dianthus crashed into the top of the spire. Outside, Elise was holding up the spire.  
Alana and I let go and we both landed on the sand head first while Odette landed gracefully. The rope and Alana's boomerang landed next to my sister and she grabbed them happily. Odette looked left and right, a frown on her pretty face.  
I looked over at Elise's hands pressed against the spire. Her fingers were dug into it, and several cracks had formed. Elise grunted and pulled her fingers out. The spire immediately sank quickly into the ground.  
The sinking caused Elise to fly backwards and a dust cloud to form which enveloped her.  
When the dust cleared, I walked over and helped the blind girl up. Where the spire once stood was now a large crater. Odette was kneeling on the ground. Behind her stood Alana, holding a rolled up parchment.  
"We got it. There's a solar eclipse coming," Alana said, running up to me happily. We jumped at each other and hugged tightly. "The Fire Nation's in trouble, now!"  
Odette stood up and walked around. She looked left and right before looking towards Elise. Elise was sitting on the ground with her head between her hands as Odette walked towards her.  
"Where's Emrys?" she asked, her grey eyes full of worry.  
Elise groaned and shook her head sadly.  
Oh no…  
My head snapped up and I looked at Odette. The blood drained from her face and her mouth hung open, her watering eyes were wide with horror. Odette gasped as a tear rolled down her left cheek.


	11. Chapter 11: The Desert

Odette:

There was nothing around us except for the endless expanse of sand dunes and open sky. The wind blew loudly around us.  
I had moved on from being shocked and heartbroken. Now, now I was just enraged, how could have Elise let this happen. She knew how much Emrys meant to me. She was my family, the last traces of my past. I had grown up with my dragon since she had been a hatchling! She'd saved my life time after time…she was my best friend and I needed her, and Elise just let her go without a care in the world. She'd told me that it had been sandbenders. She could have stopped them, she'd had the power. But she had just stood by…I wondered if they'd paid her…  
I approached Elise in an aggressive manner. "How could you let them take Emrys?! Why didn't you stop them?!"  
"I couldn't! The library was sinking! You guys were still inside and-" Elise swung her arms wide but I didn't want to hear it.  
"You could have come to get us! I could have saved her!" I screeched.  
Elise glared at me. "I can hardly feel any vibrations out here. The sandbenders snuck upon me and there wasn't time for -"  
"You just didn't care! You never liked Emrys! You wanted her gone!" I hissed, getting in her face.  
Kole approached the two of us an attempt at peacemaking, and placed an arm on my left shoulder.  
"Odette, stop it. You know Elise did all she could. She saved our lives," he said softly but sternly.  
"Who's going to save our lives now? We'll never make it out of here," Alana said, looking around worriedly.  
I couldn't believe them. "That's all any of you guys care about: yourselves! You don't care whether Emrys is okay or not!"  
I stalked off, sulking angrily.  
Kole sighed. "We're all concerned, but we can't afford to be fighting now. We'd better start walking. We're the only people who know about the solar eclipse. We have to get that information to Eralith."  
"You think if we dig out the giant owl, I'll give us a ride?" Alana asked as they started to walk off.  
Disgusted with them, I walked off the other way and Kole grabbed my arm gently.  
I threw his arm off me roughly. "I'm going after Emrys."  
I flew off and Kole called after me, running towards the spot from which I took off.  
"Odette, wait!"

Ren:

Uncle and I were on our ostrich-horse, riding through a small cleft in the valley. Uncle was clearly in discomfort.  
"Maybe we should make camp," I said, watching him worriedly. He was still pretty banged up from Athera's attack.  
"No, please, don't stop for me!" he said in a pained voice and I winced.  
Uncle let out several more pained groans, trying to hide it from me. I rolled my eyes at his sad attempt to keep it hidden and pulled the reigns of the Ostrich-Horse, stopping it. Uncle and I dismounted.  
Uncle groaned and took a seat on a large flat rock after I helped him down. The Ostrich-Horse perked up, pricking its ears. Clearly, it detected something unusual. I took a defensive posture.  
"What now?" Uncle said, annoyed.  
Rough Rhinos streaked through the foliage around us. Colonel Solomon's rhino stamped the ground forcefully, breaking the surface crust. I continued my defensive posture. Uncle brightened and placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"Colonel Solomon! What a pleasant surprise!" he said and I quirked an eyebrow.  
Solomon snorted. "If you're surprised we're here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps."  
Solomon looked stern. He emphasized his remarks by making sparks with his bracers. His men readied their weapons.  
"You know these guys?" I asked, uncomfortable.  
Uncle nodded. "Sure. Colonel Solomon and the Rough Riders are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They are also a very capable singing group."  
"We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!" Solomon snapped and I resumed my defensive stance.  
Uncle smiled. "Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kale? I take you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"  
Solomon was fed up. "Enough stalling! Round 'em up!"  
The dark skinned, pony tailed fighter swung his ball and chain at Uncle. Uncle kicked the ball away easily. The ball, redirected, wrapped its chain around the foot of another warrior's rhino. Uncle dodged the fire blasts by tumbling along the ground. He rose back up to swat the rump of the rhino that had been chained. The rhino ran off, yanking the dark-skinned warrior who had one end of the chain attached to his belt as well as its own rider. Uncle waved as he watched them go.  
The archer shot a lit arrow at my back. I sensed the arrow, turned, and broke the arrow apart as it approached me. I then let a fire blast loose, which burned a hole in the archer's bow, a hand's width above the archer's hand. The blast passed through the bow and broke the string.  
Solomon let loose fire blast after fire blast at Uncle. Uncle deflected each. I ran up and jumped on the back of Solomon's rhino behind him. A brief duel ensued, with Solomon quickly being kicked off the rhino by me.  
Uncle ran up to the ostrich horse, jumped up on the saddle, and rode over to me. I jumped from Solomon's rhino into the saddle as Uncle galloped by.  
The armored warrior, riding in pursuit, threw a grenade at the fleeing ostrich horse. The grenade exploded ahead of the ostrich horse, but Uncle and I were able to ride through the explosion.  
"It's nice to see old friends," Uncle said with a smile.  
"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you," I snapped, trying to steer through the thick brush.  
Uncle paused thoughtfully. "Hmm... Old friends that don't want to attack me…"

Kole:

I led the rest of the crew through the scorching hot desert, minus Odette and Emrys. I was really starting to worry about her, but there was nothing I could do about it. Odette had to work through her turmoil on her own.  
Occasional small plants dotted the dunes. We were all hot, dry, and tired, and we had only been walking fro a few hours. Alana tried using Fang and his tail as a hat. As she slowed, Elise bumped into her, knocking Fang off Alana's head.  
Alana was breathing hard. "Can't you watch where you're -"  
"No," Elise snapped.  
"Right. Sorry."  
I turned to encourage the others. "Come on guys, we've got to stick together.'  
Alana sighed. "If I sweat any more, I don't think sticking together will be a problem."  
Alana tried to gently pull her and Elise's clothing apart, but Elise cut to the chase and knocked Alana down, disconnecting them.  
"Kole, can I have some water?" the little girl asked me.  
I sighed, knowing I was starting to run low. "Okay, but we've got to try to conserve it."  
I bent water from my bag and suspended it between me and the others. I then directed it to each mouth except my own; I could go for a little while longer…the others needed it more than I did. Alana swished the water a bit, and then swallowed with a face. She clearly was not impressed with the taste.  
"We're drinking your bending water? You used this on the swamp guy!" she whined.  
Elise nodded. "It does taste swampy."  
Fang smacked his lips before he let out a displeased bark. I motioned my sense of helplessness.  
"I'm sorry, it's all we have."  
Alana gasped. "Not anymore! Look!"  
She pointed to a large cactus a little off our path. She walked up to it, cut a piece off with her knife, and drained the liquid content into her mouth. Fang did likewise.  
"Alana, wait! You shouldn't be eating strange plants!" I snapped and grabbed Elise's wrist and ran over to Alana and Fang.  
"There's water trapped inside these!" Alana held up some cactus for me, but I backed away, pushing Elise back as well.  
"I don't know…"  
Alana shrugged. "Suit yourself. It's very thirst-quenching, though."  
I frowned as I watched Alana, her face suddenly changing. The pupils in her eyes suddenly dilated rapidly. Alana's expression became blank and she shook his head rapidly. Before I could panic, she started moving again, although things got really…weird.  
"Drink cactus juice. It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier," she said in a strange voice and dropped to the ground. She moved across the sand like an inch worm. "It's the quenchiest!"  
I took the proffered cactus bowl in my hand and poured it to the ground.  
I looked at her blankly as she got back up, smiling drunkly. "Okay, I think you've had enough."  
Alana pointed at Elise. "Who lit Elise on fire?"  
Fang ran in a circle and then suddenly dive bombed to the ground.  
"Can I get some of that cactus?" Elise asked.  
No way! I didn't need two crazy people out here. "I don't think that's a good idea. Come on, we need to find Odette."  
Alana looked around in amazement. "How did we get out here in the middle of the ocean?"  
"Uhhh…"  
Suddenly, a massive, mushroom shaped cloud rose in the distance as we climbed over a dune. It looked like a bomb or something, and it was big. Just from here I could tell it had to be at least two hundred feet high. Dust that was kicked up blew over us rapidly.  
"What is that?" I asked, feeling a small tremble of fear.  
Elise looked around blindly. "What? What is what?"  
Alana gasped, squeaking a little. "It's a giant mushroom! Maybe it's friendly!"  
I slapped my forehead. "Let's just keep moving. I hope Odette's okay…"  
"Friendly mushroom! Mushy giant friend!" Alana cried, ignoring me and waving her arms back and forth.

Odette:

It was now nearing sunset, and Kole, Alana, Elise and Fang were still trekking across the desert.  
I'd looked everywhere for Emrys and there had been nothing around for miles. My friend was gone. In a fit of rage, I had blown a massive crater into the ground, causing a massive mushroom shaped explosion that send dust flying out everywhere.  
I was now hot, dirty, and utterly hopeless.  
I landed behind the group, kicking up a small cloud of sand. Kole approached me as I kneeled.  
"I'm sorry, Odette. I know it's hard for you right now, but we need to focus on getting out of here," he said. I would have been angry, but I no longer had the energy.  
"What's the difference? We won't survive without Emrys. We all know it," I said hopelessly. I wished I could have said goodbye to Ren when I'd had the chance, but he probably would have just fried me to a crisp.  
"Come on, Odette! We can do this if we work together. Right, Elise?" Kole said, cheery.  
Elise was not so enthusiastic. "As far as I can feel, we're trapped in a giant bowl of sand pudding. I got nothin'."  
Kole turned to his sister. "Alana? Any ideas how to find Eralith?"  
Alana and Fang were both lying on their backs and staring at the sky, looking drunk. Alana smiled blissfully and pointed upward.  
"Why don't we ask the circle birds?" she asked.  
Several buzzard wasps circled above our group. Kole looked left and right at everyone. I was still sulking, and Elise staggered a bit.  
Kole rubbed his tired eyes. "Ugh... We're getting out of this desert, and we're going to do it together! Odette, get up. Everybody hold hands. We can do this. We have to."  
Kole took my staff and led me along. I held on to Elise's hand, and Elise held on to Alana's hand. Alana smiled and laughs as she pulled Fang along by the tail. Fang was trying to run in the opposite direction.

Kole:

The sun set behind an old, withered tree. Stars had appeared in the sky. I led the group over the top of a large dune, exhausted.  
"I think we should stop for the night," I sighed, struggling to keep my eyes open.  
Everyone behind me sighed and fell to the ground.  
Elise licked her dry lips. "Is there any more water?"  
"This is the last of it. Everyone can have a little drink," I said. I wasn't sure were we were going to get more but if we had to I would even resort to drinking Alana's cactus juice.  
I opened my water flask and bent out an orb of water. Fang leapt at the water and tried to drink it, causing it to fall to the sand below. Alana panicked and scrambled towards the wet spot in the sand.  
"Fang, no! You've killed us all!" she wailed.  
I smacked the back of her head slightly. "No, he hasn't."  
I placed my hand over the moist sand and bent the water out of it.  
Alana smiled goofily. "Oh, right. Bending."  
I bent the water back into the flask and gave it to Elise.  
"Alana, let me see the things you got from the library," I asked her.  
Alana reeled back and clutched her bag full of scrolls.  
"What! I didn't steal anything! Who told you that?!" She yelled, offended. She spun and pointed an accusing finger at Fang. "It was you! You ratted me out!"  
The little wolf bent his ears back and opened his mouth, making little noises like he was crying. He laid down and buried his head beneath his paws.  
"Alana, I was there." I took Alana's bag from me.  
Odette sighed. "It doesn't matter. None of those will tell us where Emrys is."  
I pulled out one of the scrolls and unrolled it, revealing a star map.  
I rolled my eyes. I knew she was upset and yes so was I but this was getting ridiculous. "No, but we can find out which way Eralith is. We can use the stars to guide us. That way we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day." I sighed again for the thousandth time." Just try to get some sleep. We'll start again in a few hours."

Ren:

Uncle and I came to a sad little oasis with a melting iceberg and ramshackle buildings. The small village or whatever it was rested right on the edges of the Airion desert. Only a fool would go out into that place, unless he had a death sentence. Trying to stay out of the heat, Uncle and I went inside the bar at the ice springs.  
Once inside, we move through the cool room swiftly and sat at an empty table.  
I looked around, seeing nothing but drunks and freeloaders. "No one here is going to help us. These people just look like filthy wanderers."  
"So do we," Uncle said, pointing at my shirt. He looked around for a moment before his face brightened. "Ah, this is interesting. I think I've found our friend."  
he pointed over at an old, bald man sitting quietly at a Pai Sho table.  
I glared at him. "You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?"  
Uncle shook his head. "I don't think this is a gamble."  
Uncle and I got up and walked over. When we got there, Uncle bowed low to the old man.  
"May I have this game?" he asked.  
Pai Sho Player nodded. "The guest has the first move."  
Uncle placed the lotus tile in the middle of the board.  
"I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways," the old man said, pleasantly surprised.  
Uncle smiled. "Those who do can always find a friend."  
Pai Sho Player nodded, his expression warming. "Then let us play. "  
The old PaiSho player placed another tile on the board. Uncle quickly placed another tile as well. I sat down and watched intently as the two men placed tile after tile on the board in rapid succession. I was so confused by what was going on I wanted to slam my head against the nearby post. When they were done, the tiles formed the shape of a lotus, with the lotus tile in the center.  
Pai Sho Player smiled widely. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."  
I glanced between them, annoyed. I was tired of not knowing what was going on. "What are you old gasbags talking about?"  
Uncle smirked. "I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game."  
Uncle rolled a tile over his knuckles and clutched it.  
Suddenly a booming voice spoke out through the bar and a big man with an ugly flat face and long black hair approached us. "I'm not waiting all night for these geezers to finish yapping! It's over! You two fugitives are coming with me!"  
I gulped, glancing at Uncle as a smaller man came up to stand beside the first. I could have snapped him like a twig.  
The Pai Sho Player jumped up. "I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"  
I froze and snapped at Uncle. "I thought you said he would help!"  
Uncle smiled slightly. "He is. Just watch."  
the Pai Sho Player fixed his gaze on the two men and spoke loudly, catching everyone's attention in the bar. "You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?"  
"Gold?" multiple men murmured, the world echoing through the bar.  
All of the men in the bar looked up at the mention of the word 'gold.' Several of them pulled out knives and approach us around the Pai Sho table.  
"Uh... Maybe we shouldn't," the small man said, intimidated as his companion glared around.  
Two men jumped in front of the big man. The earthbender spun around and delivered a reverse roundhouse kick, bending a rock from the ground which knocked the two men away. The skinny man entered his stance and bent the earth underneath one of the assailants, causing him to sink into the ground up to his neck.  
The big man handled a group of sandbenders. He had one lifted in the air with one hand and held back another sandbender with the other hand. He promptly kicked any other sandbender that came near. He twisted his waist and threw the two sandbenders he held. One went flying and smashed into the wall behind the bartender.  
While everyone was busy fighting each other Uncle, the Pai Sho player, and I took the opportunity and ran out of the building unnoticed.

Kole:

While the others slept on the dune, I stayed awake and kept watch. Fang was burying the dreaming Alana under the sand. He jump away as I approached Alana to wake her up.  
"Come on, get up. We need to go," I said gently.  
Alana drowsily sat up as did Elise, who smacked her lips.  
"Yesterday my mouth tasted like mud. Now it just tastes like sand. I never thought I'd miss the taste of mud so much," she said sadly.  
I went to wake Odette up, but she interrupted me before I could touch her.  
"I'm awake. I couldn't sleep," she said flatly, her brown hair blowing slightly across the sand.  
"Well, we need to get moving if we want to get out of this sand pit," I said.  
Odette and I spotted something in the sky at the same time. There was a large, dragon shaped object floating past the large, bright moon.  
Odette sat up joyfully. "Emrys!"  
Alana was confused. "Emrys? But why would Prince Falcon need her? He's the moon! He flied by his self!"  
My smile fell sadly as I realized what was thought to be Emrys turned out to be nothing more than cloud.  
"It's just a cloud. Wait! A cloud!" I turned to Odette and handed her my water flask. "Here, fly up and bend the water from that cloud into my pouch."  
Odette gave me an angry look before snatching my water pouch and taking off on her glider. In two passes, Odette quickly collected the cloud moisture. She threw the pouch down to me and landed angrily. I peeked into the pouch, seeing only a few swallows.  
"Wow... there's hardly any in here," I said.  
Odette grey even more angry. "I'm sorry, okay! It's a desert cloud; I did all I could! What's anyone else doing! What are you doing?"  
Odette pointed her staff at me and I looked back with shock. "Trying to keep everyone together. Let's just get moving. We need to head in this direction."  
I began reading the star map and continued to lead the group. After a few moments of walking, Elise suddenly tripped and fell. She rubbed her stubbed foot, groaning. Next to her was a wooden object sticking out of the sand.  
"Ow! Crud! I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going! And what idiot buried a boat in the middle of the desert?!" she growled.  
I started. "A boat?"  
"Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations," she snapped, rubbing her toes.  
Alana sighed as Odette stepped forward and swung her staff in a wide, horizontal arc, kicking up sand. When it cleared, a sand glider like the ones used by the sandbenders saw before us.  
"It's one of the gliders the sandbenders use! And look! It's got some kind of compass on it! I bet it can point us out of here! Odette, you can bend a breeze so we can sail it. We're going to make it!" I said excitedly.  
We all suddenly turned to see Alana laughing and as she buried Fang in a pile of sand. She turned towards us and gave two thumbs up as well as a large grin.

* * * *  
Ren:

We ended up in a small village near the edge of the desert. Uncle and the Pai Sho player from the ice springs entered one of the buildings and I followed closely behind. The Pai Sho player made sure than no one was watching before shutting the door. Inside it became apparent that the building was a flower shop.  
Pai Sho Player turned to my Uncle an bowed, completely ignoring me. "It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets."  
The old man began leading us through the shop.  
"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is this club going to offer some real help?" I growled angrily.  
Uncle sighed and gave me a warning look. "You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."  
I crossed my arms and grumbled under my breath irritably as the Pai Sho player knocked on a door in the back. A small window in the middle slid open and a man peeked through.  
"Who knocks at the guarded gate?" he asked and I frowned glancing around uncertainly.  
What?  
"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries," Uncle said and my confusion increased.  
Who were these people?  
The door was opened and Uncle and the Pai Sho player entered. I attempted to follow them, but the door was shut in my face and I stumbled back, startled. Uncle slid open the door's window.  
"I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here," he said and slid the window shut again.  
I frowned and crossed my arms. It was totally empty in the shop so I had nothing to do. I leaned over to a nearby plant and sniffed it, recognizing the smell that reminded me of a certain young girl.

Odette:

The sand glider raced through the desert. I was driving it forwards by bending powerful gusts of air into the sail. Kole was standing on the upper platform and navigating using the compass and star map.  
He tapped the needle and looked ahead. "The needle on this compass doesn't seem to be pointing north according to my charts."  
Alana spoke dreamily. "Take it easy little boy. I'm sure the sand folks who built this baby know how to get around here."  
Alana was sitting behind Kole and held Fang by the tail. Kole gasped when he spotted a giant rock sticking out from the sand in the distance.  
"That's what the compass is pointing to! That giant rock! It must be the magnetic center of the desert," he said.  
"A rock? Yes! Let's go!" Elise said, perking up happily.  
Kole smiled. "Maybe we can find some water there!"  
"Maybe we can find some sandbenders," I said darkly. Whoever took my Emrys was going to pay. I wasn't sure how yet, but whatever they had done to her, I would do to them only ten times worse.  
The sand glider reached the foot of the rock. It was now dawn and the sun brightened part of the sky. After a long while of walking, about and hour perhaps, we reached the top.  
"Ahhh... Finally! Solid ground!" Elise fell flat on her back and moved her arms and legs back and forth, creating an earth angel in the rock surface. I turned and took in several strange, round caves that were in the side of the rock. Curious we entered one and found it to be pleasantly cool and nice after the sandy hot desert. Covered all around the cave's surface was a yellow, gooey substance that looked like honey.  
Alana breathed deeply, sounding normal again, finally. "I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice. And look!"  
Alana grabbed some of the sticky substance and ate it. She quickly spat it out and made a disgusted gagging noise. "This tastes like rotten penguin meat! Awww I feel woozy."  
Kole looked at her, irritated. "You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just lick something you find stuck to the wall of a cave?!"  
Alana shrugged. "I have a natural curiosity."  
"I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something," Elise said.  
I frowned and examined the walls, noticing the strange shapes. "Yeah... look at the shape."  
Elise frowned, her eyes growing wide with alarm. "There's something buzzing in here. Something that's coming for us!"  
I heard it too and we all ran back out of the cave as a buzzing noise was heard. Elise and I screamed as buzzard wasps flew from the caves and attacked viciously. Several of the creatures emerged from the cave and begin flying above and screeching. I swung my staff down at one that approached and blew it back with a gust of air. A buzzard wasp landed near Elise. She sensed it and bent a pillar of rock up from beneath it, sending it flying.  
Another buzzard wasp flew between Elise and Alana. Elise stomped the ground and popped a boulder into the air. She lifted it and smashed it down inches away from Alana.  
Alana gasped in terror. "What are you doing?! That rock almost crushed me!"  
Elise threw her arms in the air. "Sorry, I can't tell where we were in the air!"  
A buzzard wasp flew past them.  
Alana smiled. "I got this one."  
She swung her machete wildly back and forth.  
Kole sighed and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Alana, there's nothing there."  
Alana looked back and forth, realizing she'd been attacking the air.  
She shrugged impishly. "I guess my head's not as clear as I thought."  
"We have to get out of here! I'm completely out of water to bend!" Kole said, looking in his pouch.  
Fang was crouching on the ground behind Kole and I, frightened. He was suddenly snatched by a buzzard wasp and I watched as the wasp flew towards the rising sun with the wolf.  
"Fang! I'm not losing anyone else out here," I growled furiously.  
I opened my glider and took off after the buzzard wasp.  
"Come on, we're going down," Kole shouted as I built up speed.  
I caught up with it quickly and flew underneath it and rolled over, bending a gust of wind with a strong kick that forced the buzzard wasp to let go of Fang. Fang began to fall, but I reached down and caught him, tucking him into my shirt.  
I glared as the Buzzard wasp tried to fly away. I glided close to the ground and closes my glider. Still flying forward, I swung my staff down and shot a powerful blade of air that split the sand. The buzzard wasp, now just a black dot against the sun, was hit by the attack, cutting it in two. It fell from the air and hit the sand with a dull thud. I stares coldly and walked back to the giant rock.  
Fang followed, but was clearly frightened by my merciless act.  
When I returned with my wolf, Kole, Alana and Elise were nearing the bottom. Kole turned as a wasp prepared to attack.  
"On your left!" he shouted to Elise.  
Elise smacked a rock and shot it at another buzzard wasp, which shrieked on impact. Buzzard wasps hovered around the foot of the rock and the sand glider. Suddenly, gigantic pillars of sand burst upwards, scaring of the swarm of wasps. They flew upward and back to their hive.  
Alana, Kole, and Elise all shielded their eyes. When they opened them, several sandbenders were surrounding them. I landed in front of them, facing the sandbenders with a look of death in my eyes.

Ren:

I ended up falling into a light sleep in the flower shop while waiting. The door opened suddenly and Uncle stepped out, causing me to awaken and go into a defensive stance.  
I looked around in confusion, my heart hammering. "What's going on? Is the club meeting over?"  
Uncle nodded and patted my shoulder comfortingly as I came to my senses. "Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Eralith."  
I started, surprised by this. "Eralith? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"  
The old Pai Sho Player stepped forward. "The city was filled with refugees. No one will notice two more."  
"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city," Uncle continued.  
The door opened and a man stepped inside the flower shop.  
"I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the streets looking for them," he said.  
Uncle and I looked at each other and then ran to the doors small sliding window. We opened it and peered out cautiously. The two men who had come after us before stood outside in the street. The big man held up a wanted poster to a man walking by.  
"You seen these guys?" he asked.  
Uncle and I turned to each other and gave each other questioning looks.

Odette:

I glared darkly at the leader of the sandbenders, a bald man with a beard confronts.  
"What are you doing in our land with a sandbender sailer? From the looks of it, you stole it from the Hami tribe."  
Kole frowned. "We found the sailer abandoned in the desert. We're traveling with the Avatar. Our dragon was stolen and we have to get to Eralith."  
A younger sandbender next to the leader stepped forward and raised his voice and clenched his fist.  
"You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand sailer?" he snapped.  
"Quiet, Garth. No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true, we must give them hospitality," the leader said.  
"Sorry, father," the boy said.  
Elise's eyes widened in shock and she reached forward and tugged my sleeve gently.  
"I recognize the son's voice. He's the one that stole Emrys," she said.  
Kole glanced at him. "Are you sure?"  
Elise nodded. "I never forget a voice."  
Fanning the flames of my rage, I took several steps towards the sandbenders and brandished my staff threateningly.  
"You stole Emrys! Where is she? What did you do to her," I snarled angrily.  
Garth was appalled. "They're lying! They're the thieves!"  
I swung my staff down and obliterated a sand sailer with a blast of air.  
"Where. Is. My. Dragon?!"

Ren:

We came up with a plan to get us out of the shop quickly.  
Out of the door stepped a man pulling a small wood wagon with two large flower pots on it, Uncle and I hiding inside them. After he left, the two man seeking us approached the door. I peered out from under the stack of leaves and flowers I was hiding under and watched as the big man threw the door open. This caused a flower pot hanging overhead to fall and shatter. The man held up the wanted poster to the florist tending the plants.  
"Hey you, where are these men? I got a tip that they're in your shop," he snapped.  
The florist responded calmly. "As you can see, no one is here but us."  
"We know all about your secret back room," the small man said smugly before turning to his companion. "Kick it down."  
"Hey! That room was for flowers only!" the florist snapped.  
Alex ran at the door and slammed his foot into it, knocking down the whole doorframe and the stone around it. I smirked, knowing all he would find was an empty room, save for a circle of mats and a Pai Sho lotus tile in the middle.  
The big man stomped out of the shop, growling angrily. "Let's go back to finding the girl."  
I froze, my heart stopping for a minute as Odette's face flashed through my mind.

Kole:

I glanced worriedly between Odette and the sandbenders. I had never seen her so enraged before, so murderous. She was scary. She was going to kill them, one wrong answer and they'd be done for.  
"You tell me where she is now!" Odette snarled, eye face crazed.  
The sandbenders watched in shock as Odette swung the end of her staff upward and destroyed another sand sailer.  
the leader to the group turned to Gath. "What did you do?"  
"I-It wasn't me!" he cried, frightened.  
Elise jabbed a finger at him. "You said to put a muzzle on her!"  
Odette became even more enraged, if that was even possible. She was starting to make Ren look like a saint. "You muzzled Emrys?!"  
Odette's eyes and arrow glowed as she began to enter the Avatar State.  
Bad, bad, bad, very bad!  
She twirled her staff around and demolished one of the few remaining sand sailers.  
"I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!" Garth yelled in alarm.  
"Tell me where Emrys is!" Odette screamed in an unearthly voice.  
"I traded her! To some merchants! She's probably in Eralith by now! They were going to sell her there! Please! We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help however we can!" Garth begged in fright.  
The air around Odette slowly began to pick up and spin around her as she fully entered the Avatar State, pulling in sand and creating a small tornado.  
Alana shoved the closest person to her. "Just get out of here! Run!"  
Alana grabbed Elise by the shoulders and pulled her away from Odette. Elise, Alana, Fang and the sandbenders all fled for their lives. I, however, stayed and faced the danger.  
The sand tornado grew larger and spread quickly as Odette slowly lifted from the ground. I made my way through the fierce wind and grabbed Odette's wrist. She looked down at me with anger and hate, but was only met with my sad expression. I brought Odette back to the ground and hugged her. Alana and Elise brought their hands down from shielding themselves as the wind became less violent. Tears were streaming from Odette's glowing eyes, and I was doing my best not to let go of her. The wind finally died down. Odette left the Avatar State and let her head rest against my chest.


	12. Chapter 12: Ther Serpent's Pass

Kole:

We finally made it out of the desert with the sandbenders help. Our first stop was in a box canyon on a peaceful sunny afternoon. A waterfall cascaded into a deep pool, a treat after spending days out in the horrid desert.  
Alana was sitting on a rock studying a scroll while Fang observed from her shoulder. Elise splashed her feet from the pool's edge, while Odette swam on her back. She encased her body in a block of ice, floating along peacefully. I was at the highest point in the canyon, preparing to dive off.  
"Waterbending bomb! Yeah!" I cried out, smiling for the first time in days.  
I performed a tumbling cannonball into the pool, sending up a massive column of water that washed Odette ashore, shattering her ice block. As water drenched them all, Elise and Odette laughed with delight.  
Alana on the other hand was irritated. She held out her dripping map. "Sure, 5000 year old maps from the spirit library, just splash some water on 'em."  
"Sorry," I said. I emerged from the pool, shaking water out of my hair like a dog. I then used a waterbending technique to draw the water out of the map Alana was held up. Everyone gathered around as Alana spread the map out on the ground.  
"So, did you figure out what route we're gonna take?" Odette asked, ringing the water out of her hair.  
Alana pointed out map features. "Okay. We just got out of the desert, so we must be around here, and we need to go to Eralith, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the South to the North is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass."  
"You're sure that's the best way to go?" Elise asked.  
"It's the only way, I mean it's not like we have Emrys to fly us there," Alana said.  
I whispered at her in a hushed voice. "Shush up about Emrys. Can't you at least try to be sensitive?"  
Alana and I glanced at Odette. Even though she wiped all emotion from her face, I could see the pain in her grey eyes.  
"Kole, it's ok. I know I was upset about losing Emrys before, but I just want to focus on getting to Eralith, and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse," she said, calm.  
I was surprised. "Oh, well, ok. I'm glad you're doing better."  
Alana rolled up the map. "Then to Eralith we go, no more distractions."  
Just as Alana finished saying this, a trio of Earth kingdom civilians appeared.  
A man called out, waving. "Hello there fellow refugees!"  
The man looked to be about in his twenties and was traveling with a very pregnant young woman and a teen-aged girl. Alana expression changed to consternation.  
Odette smiled sweetly and approached them. "So, are you guys headed to Eralith too?"  
The man nodded.  
"Sure are, we're trying to get there before my wife Bell has her baby," he said and rubbed her large belly.  
"Great, we can travel through the Serpent's Pass together," I said. The three travelers reacted with horror.  
Bell cringed into her husband's side fearfully. "The Serpent's Pass?! Only the truly desperate take that deadly route."  
"Deadly route," Elise repeated and whacked Alana's arm painfully. "Great pick, Alana."  
Alana glared at her. "Well, we are desperate."  
"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay. Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Eralith," the man explained.  
Bell nodded. "And it's hidden, so the Fire Nation can't find it."  
I looked over at my sister sarcastically. "Hmmm, peaceful ferry ride...or deadly pass?"

Odette:

I looked around at the gloomy cavernous inlet; the Full Moon Ferry Landing, where three large wooden ships were anchored past a fortified wall. Behind the harbor wall hundreds of people had gathered on a stone landing. Two earth nation guards stood at attention. One of them bent down a wall section behind them, revealing a hidden tunnel. When we came out on the other side with our new friends in tow, I was surprised to see that the entire place was filled with at least a thousand people. There was literally no room to eve take a step.  
Kole was just as shocked as I was. "I can't believe how many people's lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation."  
As we walked through the refugee camp, I spotted a woman feeding a crying child, her face distressed and worn. Bell's husband, who's name was Wesley, came over and patted my shoulder, following my distressed gaze.  
"We're all looking for a better life. Safe, behind the walls of Eralith."

Ren:

Uncle and I made it onto one of the three ships, lying side by side. The center vessel launched and emerged from the inlet and out onto the great lake. Uncle and I stood on the ship's deck and looked out at the water.  
He was solemn as he spoke.  
"Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace...as a tourist," he said and as he said this last bit, he turned to me, putting on a flowered straw hat and a wide grin.  
"Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees," I replied bitterly. I took a sip from wooden bowl in my hands and spat it out before it had the chance to come back up by itself. "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt... I'm tired of living like this."  
I leaned on the rail despondently.  
"Aren't we all?" a cool, female voice spoke from just behind me. I turned to see a beautiful woman with long flowing, dark red hair, pale ivy skin, and blazing emerald green eyes. She wore a red vest, green clothing, and little armor. When I caught her eye she adopted a sly grin that sent chills slithering down my spine. She had a creepy vibe about her that I didn't like.  
"My name's Detra, and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee, and Longshot," she said and stepped out toward the rail, her companions behind her.  
Smellerbee looked at us and I couldn't figure out if he was a boy or a girl. "Hey."  
Longshot nodded a greeting.  
I looked out over lake, speaking in an unfriendly tone. "Hello."  
Detra stepped closer and I felt the urge to run and jump overboard. "Here's the deal. I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"  
Uncle turned to her. "What sort of "king" is he eating like?"  
"The fat, happy kind."  
Uncle's mouth gaped open, drooling.  
Detra shook her head and turned back to me, narrowing her eye's like a cats. In that moment, I could have sworn she was Athera's long lost sister. "You want to help us "liberate" some food?"  
I stared down into at the bowl of gruel, considering. Even though I got bad vibes from her and knew she was trouble, I wanted some real food. She obviously had the skills and resources to acquire it. Besides, what could go wrong? If she tried anything funny I would just kill her. After a moment of deliberating, I hurled the bowl out over the rail.  
I turned to her. "I'm in."

Odette:

I looked at a cruel-looking Earth kingdom woman standing at a podium, stamping papers.  
"I've told you already, no vegetables on the ferry!" the bureaucrat snapped angrily. A familiar old man looked up in desperate denial. "One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Eralith. Security!"  
The cabbage merchant was horrified. "Dah! My Cabbages!"  
As he said this an enormous platypus-bear, dressed in a uniform, reared up and destroyed his goods, cart and all. The merchant fell to his knees, paralyzed in despair. Two guards picked him up by the arms and carried him away past my friends and I.  
As the bureaucrat stamped a paper, she shouted, "Next!"  
"Um, four tickets for the ferry to Eralith, please," I asked hesitantly, sincerely afraid of the old woman.  
"Passport."  
"Uh, no one told us we had to have passports," I said.  
Alana stepped forward, annoyed. "Don't you know who this is? She's the Avatar!"  
The bureaucrat was unimpressed. "Ah, I see fifty Avatars a day, and by the way, not a very impressive costume."  
She pointed over to the left, showing a motley group of girls in avatar costumes lounging together. I smiled and nodded in their direction, as Fang jumped up over to me.  
"Besides, no animals allowed." She leaned forward threateningly. "Do I need to call security?"  
I glanced over at the platypus bear chomping a cabbage and Fang cowered against my leg.  
I held up my hands. "That won't be necessary."  
The bureaucrat dismissed me. "Next!"  
Elise strode forward. "I'll take care of this. My name is Elise Amberhood, and I'll need 4 tickets."  
Elise pushed up a document bearing a gleaming golden emblem.  
The bureaucrat was awed. "Oh! The Golden Seal of the Flying Boar, it is my pleasure to help anyone of the Amberhood family."  
The bureaucrat bowed with a flourish.  
Elise rolled her eyes arrogantly. "It is your pleasure. As you can see I am blind, and these three imbeciles are my valets."  
She gestured back to the us as we grinned foolishly in a group hug.  
"But the animal …" the woman said hesitantly.  
Elise interrupted her. "Is my Seeing-Eye wolf."  
The bureaucrat smiled slightly. "Well, normally it's only 1 ticket per passport, but, this document is so official, I guess it's worth 4 tickets."  
She rapidly stamped four papers.  
Elise nodded. "Thank you very much."  
She reached up and gathered the tickets off podium, then walked off.  
Alana grinned happily, in file behind us. "Alright, we scammed that lady good!"  
Alana was suddenly grabbed from behind and spun around by an attractive young man in Earth kingdom uniform. He had honey blonde hair and familiar forest green eyes.  
"Tickets and passports please," he said firmly and held out his hand.  
Alana was intimidated. "Is there a problem?"  
"Yeah, I've got a problem with you," he said menacingly and poked his finger at her chest. "I've seen your type before, probably sarcastic, think your hilarious, and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar."  
Alana's eyes narrowed. "Do I know you?"  
He yanked her close by her collar.  
"You mean you don't remember? Maybe you remember this," he said and placed a kiss on her cheek.  
"Tarren!" Alana cried and they hugged tightly.  
Tarren was just as delighted. "Alana, it's good to see you!"

Kole:

We stood on a covered tower on the harbor wall, overlooking both the landing and the harbor. Tarren and our group continued our reunion inside.  
"You look so different without your makeup, and the new outfit," I said, eyeing him, still surprised by the changes I was seeing.  
"That crabby lady makes all the security guards wear them." He turned to my sister and smiled approvingly. I smiled at them; he was good for Alana.  
"And look at you sleeveless girl. Been working out?" he teased.  
"I'll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then, nothing major," she smirked back, stretching and flexing casually, patting her bicep.  
Odette turned to him. "Are the other Kyoshi warriors around?"  
Tarren nodded. "Yeah, after you left Kyoshi, we wanted to find a way to help people. We ended up escorting some refugees, and we've been here ever since."  
Fang jumped up next to him just then. "Hi Fang, good to see you too. So why are you guys getting tickets for the ferry? Wouldn't you just fly across on Emrys?"  
Everyone else suddenly looked down and I winced, shooting a wary glance at Odette, unsure of how she would react.  
"Emrys is missing," I explained sadly. "We hope to find her in Eralith."  
I looked over at Odette, who looked away, hiding her pain.  
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Tarren said and looked at Odette with concern. "Are you doing okay?"  
Everyone now looked to her.  
Odette looked back ay us, annoyed. "I'm doing fine. Would everybody stop worrying about me!"  
I heard Bell suddenly speak from below us. "Avatar Odette, you have to help us! Someone took all of our belongings. Our passports, our tickets. Everything's gone!"  
I looked down and saw Wesley his family standing at the tower's base. Bell began to cry as Wesley comforted her.  
Odette stood and called down to them. "I'll talk to the lady for you."

Odette:

I stared up at the bureaucrat's scowling face, hiding my terror as she snarled down at me.  
"No passports, no tickets!" she yelled and stamped the arrow on my brow.  
"But she's pregnant, and all of their stuff was stolen. You have to make an exception," I pleaded, outraged by her rudeness.  
"No exceptions! If I just gave away tickets willy nilly to anyone, there would be no more order, and you know what that means. No more civilization!" she screamed at me, split flying from her withered red lips.  
"What if we gave them our tickets?" I asked.  
"No!"  
"But…"  
"NEXT!" she screeched, spraying spittle all over me.  
Furious, I walked back to the waiting Wesley and family.  
"Don't worry, you'll get to the city safely. I'll lead you through the serpents pass," I said reassuringly.  
I could do it, I knew I could. We would be fine.  
After a little convincing on my part, I finally lead my friends and Wesley's family through the refugee camp.  
Alana was not happy with my decision. "I can't believe we gave up our tickets, and now we're going through the Serpent's Pass."  
"I can't believe you're still complaining about it," Elise cracked.  
"I'm coming too," Tarren called as he rushed to catch up to us, clad in his Kyoshi warrior garb and face paint.  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Alana asked him cautiously.  
Tarren was surprised. "Alana, I thought you'd want me to come?"  
She nodded her head. "I do, it's just…"  
Tarren grew annoyed. "Just what?"  
"Nothing. I'm glad you're coming." Tarren walked past her angrily and Alana looked down and then followed.

Kole:

We walked along a narrow sliver of land extending out across the great lake.  
"This is the Serpent's Pass? I thought it would be more windy, you know, like a serpent. Hmm, I guess they misnamed it," Alana said, looking at it critically.  
At the beginning of the pass, everyone gathered at a large wooden oriental archway, the pass rising straight and steep beyond.  
Bell approached the gatepost. "Look at this writing, how awful."  
Elise looked over her shoulder. "What does it say?"  
I stepped forward, reading. "It says, 'Abandon hope'."  
Lovely.  
"How can we abandon hope? It's all we have," belled cried and buried face in husband's chest.  
"I don't know," Odette said evenly, looking at the pass and then the inscription. "The monks used to say that hope is just a distraction. So maybe we do need to abandon it."  
"What are you talking about?" I asked, incredulous. With the way Odette had been acting lately I wasn't too sure if she was serious or just having another mental breakdown.  
She turned and fixed me with a serious gaze. "Hope isn't going to get us into Eralith, and it's not gonna find Emrys. We need to focus on what we're doing right now, and that's getting across this pass."  
She stepped through gate.  
"Ok, if you say so," I said, somber and worried as everyone began to follow Odette through the gateway.  
We traveled along the narrow sliver of peaks rising jaggedly from the water, walking in single-file along the perilously narrow path high along the cliff face.  
"The fire nation controls the western lake. Rumor has it they're working on something big on the other side, and they don't want anyone to find out what it is," Tarren said as we walked.  
As he spoke, a Fire nation war vessel was noticed cruising off in the distance. Everyone glanced at it nervously as it slowly patrolled alongside. Suddenly the path gave way underneath Wesley, who was caught by a quick earthbending move from Elise. Her rock protrusion flipped him back to the path and into his family's arms.  
Wesley smiled and assured us shakily. "I'm okay."  
The piece of pathway tumbled to splash into the lake. The passing warship suddenly launched an attack towards us from its deck catapult.  
"They've spotted us! Let's go, let's go!" Alana shouted, springing to action.  
Odette leapt up and launched off of the cliff face, toward the fiery projectile. Intercepting it in the air, she sent it arcing back with a sweep of her staff to crash among the warship's smokestacks. As the ship caught fire, it launched another attack from its second catapult. This one impacted into the cliff side above, and Alana shoved Tarren forward as rocks tumble down towards them. Elise turned and bent out an awning of stone to divert the rocks away from Alana. Realizing she was safe, Alana rushed forward to gather up the prone Tarren.  
"Tarren, are you ok You have to be more careful! C'mon!" she snapped, pulling him with her.  
"Thanks for saving my life Elise. Hey no problem Alana," Elise muttered sarcastically.  
Elise turned and raced after the others, as Odette kited in behind her. The Fire nation warship continued to burn on the lake.

Alana:

I looked around our fire-lit camp on the pass as everyone prepared to turn in. Wesley was rubbing Bell's feet as she laid propped up, and Tarren began spreading out his bedroll.  
"Tarren, you shouldn't sleep there," I sighed and walked up and took his bedroll. "Who knows how stable this ledge is? It could give way at any moment."  
"Alana, I'm fine. Stop worrying!" he called after me, amused.  
I laid the bedroll near mine. "You're right, you're right. You're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself...Wait!"  
I abruptly leapt between him and the bedroll. "Oh, never mind. I thought I saw a spider, but you're fine."  
I patted Tarren's shoulder reassuringly, while he looked at me, mortified.

Ren:

The Earth kingdom ferry cruised beneath a moon-lit sky. On the upper deck, a guard passed by with a lantern. Detra stealthily lead her group and I upstairs and around corner.  
The more time I spent with the girl, the more she creped me out. I would just be glad when we got to Eralith and I was able to get away from her.  
We paused to look in the kitchen window, then slipped around back. Detra forced the lock while Smellerbee kept watch, then she and I burst into kitchen. Detra swept several hanging bird carcasses into a sack. I used my swords to nimbly stack eight bowls of food together, securing the stack with a ribbon. Both of us shouldered our sacks and turned to the doorway.  
"Guards coming!" Smellerbee whisper hissed.  
The three of us rushed to the balcony edge, while below, Longshot fired a line-strung arrow into the railing. Both bundles slid down the line, followed by the three of us. The arrow was pulled free just as another lantern-bearing guard walked past.  
Back on the main deck, we steeled away into the night.

Kole:

Odette stood out on a dark outcropping, staring out across the lake, lost in thought. I walked out to stand a few paces behind her.  
I was worried. Even though she'd said she was fine, I knew that was a lie. She had been acting very strange ever since we'd made it out of the desert. She rarely ate, barely slept, and avoided everyone around her, even Fang. I wanted to help, but every time I tried she'd practically bite my head off.  
"You know, it's okay to miss Emrys. What's going on with you? In the desert, all you cared about was finding Emrys, and now it's like you don't care about her at all," I started, thinking I might get better results if I was just flat out blunt with her. I walked up beside her.  
Odette didn't look at me. "You saw what I did out there. I was so angry about losing Emrys, I couldn't control myself. I hated feeling like that."  
Bingo.  
"But now you're not letting yourself feel anything. I know sometimes it hurts more to hope, and it hurts more to care. But you have to promise me that you won't stop caring. C'mon, you need a hug," I said. I held out my arms to her, wanting to hold her more than anything.  
It had really sucked after she'd told me she wasn't interested, and I was determined to get her back, no matter how many lame excuses she came up with.  
For a moment I thought she would hug me back, but she merely bowed politely.  
"Thank you for your concern, Kole."  
She walked away, and I watched her leave with a worried look.

Alana:

I stared up at the full moon as clouds began to pass before it. I was seated below a small stone arch, lost in thought.  
Full moons were always hard nights for me nowadays. Before, I used to love them, but they were just a painful memory for me now. Falcon had been my first love, and I'd had him ripped away from me in the blink of an eye. And now, every full moon, I was reminded of the amazing person I had lost. Sure, I had Tarren now, and if possible I cared for him even more than I had cared for Falcon. But still…I hurt.  
Speaking of who, I suddenly heard Tarren quietly walk up to stand next to me.  
"It's a beautiful moon," he said softly, smiling at me warmly, making butterflies flutter through my stomach.  
I sighed, wincing internally as I looked up at it. "Yeah, it really is."  
Tarren sat down close to me, our arms touching. "Look, I know you're just trying to help, but I can take care of myself."  
I smiled slightly, shaking my head at my own stupidity. "I know you can."  
"Then why are you acting so over protective?" he asked.  
It took me a moment before I could answer.  
"It's so hard to lose someone you care about," I sighed and looked away. "Something happened at the North Pole, and I couldn't protect someone. I don't want anything like that to ever happen again."  
"I lost someone I cared about," he said thoughtfully. "She didn't die, she just went away. I only had a few days to get to know her, but she was smart, and brave, and funny."  
Oh great he's got a girlfriend, just my luck. I couldn't ignore the pained feeling that went through me at the thought of him being with another girl.  
"Who is this girl?" I asked indignantly. "Is she taller than me?"  
Outraged that he would do that to me, I rose to my feet.  
Tarren smiled at me coyly. "No, she's about your height."  
"Is she better looking?"  
Tarren let out an exasperated sigh before grabbing my hand. "It is you stupid!"  
Awkward…  
"Oh…" I mumbled and looked to him wistfully.  
He stood up, right up against me, and we drew close to kiss, eyes closed, the bright moon hanging between us. Just before our lips met though, I looked away with a pained expression. I couldn't…though I wanted to very badly, it was just too soon.  
"I can't," I said, turning my face away, trying not to cry which was something I never ever did.  
Tarren looked at me, sad and surprised. "I'm... sorry."  
I turned away. "No, you shouldn't be."  
I left him standing beneath arch.

Ren:

I watched as Detra passed out food to the thankful passengers. Uncle and I sat eating with Longshot and Smellerbee, who were thankfully not as scary and psychopathic as their leader seemed to be.  
Uncle turned to the person closest to him. "So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man."  
Smellerbee looked at him, peeved. "Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!"  
She shot Uncle a dirty look, rose and walked off.  
Well that's one mystery solved, I thought in amusement as I ate.  
Uncle called after her. "Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!"  
Longshot quickly rose and followed, catching Smellerbee with a hand to her shoulder. He stepped in front of her, giving her a hard look.  
Smellerbee was contrite as she responded to his silent words. "I know. You're right. As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think. Thanks Longshot."  
He nodded a stern approval.  
Uncle and I were then joined by Detra, who calmly sat down with us, completely at ease even though I gave her a critical stare that would have made anyone else cringe.  
"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Eralith. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall," she said eagerly, tossing her fiery red hair over her slim shoulder.  
Uncle smiled distantly. "It is a magnificent sight."  
Detra was surprised. "So you've been there before?"  
"Once, when I was a different man," Uncle said and looked away with regret.  
Detra glanced around, not noticing his expression. "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Eralith, for a new beginning. A second chance."  
"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances," Uncle said and I felt his eyes boring into the side of my face.  
Subtle. Real subtle.  
I looked up from my dinner and we shared a meaningful look while Detra studied us both a little too closely for my liking.

Kole:

We continued to follow the Serpent Pass's winding course across the lake. Odette led our party down a steep slope. The group stopped as the path abruptly dropped off into the lake, disappearing then reemerging several hundred yards distant. Everyone stood stunned until I strode forward resolutely.  
"Everyone single file."  
Bending aside the water in my path, I descended down below the water level, lifting up walls of water to either side. As everyone fell in behind me, a capsule of air formed around us.  
"Odette, I need help," I said, smiling as she handed her staff to Elise and began bending.  
Wesley and his family stared about, amazed as they traveled under the wave. Fang, cradled in Elise's arms, noticed a school of fish passing by, and plunged through the water-wall after them. Tarren and Alana turned to see Fang swimming in pursuit. Suddenly, a massive black form passed near Fang, sending him leaping back to Elise, to cower dripping wet in her arms.  
The enormous bulk of the creature passed over the bubble, and was dimly seen from within.  
"What is that thing?" I asked, worried.  
As Bell and her family huddled in fear, something huge crashed through the walls of the bubble, breaking my concentration and threatening to drown us all. Reacting quickly, Elise bent up a column of rock that rushed everyone to the surface. Elise handed Odette's staff back to her just as we noticed a long spiny dorsal fin circling our sanctuary. Everyone watched it with growing dread, until the head of a colossal monster exploded from the lake. It was a gigantic Sage Sea Serpent, whiskered head resembling a seahorse's, long tongue lashing whip like from its maw. The monster roared deafeningly as it reared back its long neck to menace us.  
Alana pointed upward, her winter blue eyes wide with terror. "I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass."  
The Serpent's gaping toothy jaws issued a shrill scream of rage as the titanic Serpent arched menacingly over us.  
"Tarren, you know about giant sea monsters. Make it go away!" Alana yelled, hiding behind him.  
"Just because I live near the Unagi doesn't mean I'm an expert!" he snapped back at her.  
Alana beseechingly held up Fang. "Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering. Thank you."  
Outraged, I slapped the back of her head. "Alana!"  
The Serpent lunged toward us, but Odette swept an arc of wind at its head, punching it backwards.  
"I'll distract him. Kole, get everyone across," she told me and I grudgingly left her to face the beast alone.  
Odette opened her flyer and swooped off as the serpent recovered and snaked after her. I began casting a path made of ice across the lake surface, running forward to connect it to the far shore. Urging the others past me, I worriedly watched Odette elude the serpent in the distance. Not able to help myself, I hopped onto the water, formed a pontoon of ice around my feet, and propelled myself toward the fight.  
When Odette raced past me, the enraged Serpent close behind and I began to freeze ice around the passing monster's midsection. With a twist of its body the Serpent burst free, turning back to chase me the opposite direction. I spotted Alana rushing on shore behind the others, then turning to see that Elise was still stranded atop of the rock pillar.  
She called out. "Elise, come on. It's just ice."  
Elise put a foot out onto ice and shrank back immediately. "Actually, I'm gonna stay on my little island where I can see."  
A huge coil of the Sea Serpent crashed down behind her, sending her out onto the ice with a scream of fright. "Ok, I'm coming!"  
She began inching sideways across the ice span.  
Alana shouted encouragement. "You're doing great! Just follow the sound of my voice!"  
"It's hard to ignore," she replied acidly.  
"You're almost there." Alana said just as the serpent's tail crashed through the bridge, shattering its entire length and sending Elise plunging into the lake.  
Elise screamed and thrashed helplessly. "Help! I can't swim!"  
"I'm coming Elise!"  
As Alana struggled to remove a boot, Tarren dived into the water towards Elise. Standing frozen in amazement, Alana watched him swim furiously to the rescue as Elise slipped beneath the waves. Reaching the place where she disappeared, Tarren dived down and brought her gasping to the surface.  
"Oh Alana, you saved me," she said dramatically and planted a big kiss on Tarren's cheek.  
"Actually, it's me," he said, smiling.  
Elise was fatally embarrassed and she went limp. "Oh...well...heheh. You can go ahead and let me drown now."  
I turned back to the fight as the Serpent's head thrashed about. Odette and I circled the Serpent at tremendous speed, stirring up a irresistible whirlpool that held it helpless. The spinning monster's neck cracked like a whip against the cliff-side, and it slinked off into the depths. Walking up a rise, the others cheered as Odette flew by with me riding along the waves.  
By midday, we were finally descending down the last rose of the pass, weary and exhausted.  
Alana pointing excitedly. "There's the wall!"  
I looked out past rocky barrens toward a vast wall that filled the distant horizon.  
"Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Eralith," Alana said, a goofy smile on her face.  
Bell suddenly gasped in pain. "Oh no!"  
I spun and doubled over, clutching her belly.  
Alana turned apprehensively. "What's wrong?"  
"The baby's coming!" she gasped as the refugee family eased Bell to the ground.  
"What! Now! Can't you hold it in or something?" Alana yelled, rising in panic.  
I rolled my eyes and clapped a hand over her mouth to shut her up. "Alana, calm down. I helped Gran-Gran deliver lots of babies back home."  
Mostly because you were too much of a baby to do it.  
"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal! This is a real... human... Thing!" she screeched, completely panicking now.  
I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's called a baby, and I helped to deliver plenty of those too. Odette, get some rags. Alana, water. Elise, I need you to make an earth tent. A big one."  
Elise created a tent of stone slabs around the refugees.  
"Tarren, come with me," I said and we both entered the tent.

Ren:

We were almost there, and then I would be free to do as I pleased again.  
The ferry made progress slowly through the early morning mist. I stood at the prow, looking toward the nearing shoreline. I heard Detra approach me from behind.  
She came and stood next to me, deliberately dancing her fingers along the railing closer to my arm before she rested her hand on it lightly.  
"You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were," she said. I glanced warily at Detra who smile at me darkly. "You're an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs, because no one else will."  
"I've realized lately, that being on your own isn't always the best path," I stated grimly.

Odette:

The rocky cliffs of the opposite shore were before us, and behind a looming wall.  
I looked into the darkened interior of the stone tent, where Wesley and the girl held each of Bell's hands. Bell herself was laboring heavily, gasping for breath and sweating profusely. Kole was seated between her blanket-covered legs, back to the tent's entrance.  
"You're doing great Bell." He turned slightly and called back. "Alana! Where's that water? Get ready to push." Alana entered behind him just as he counted down. "One, two, three...PUSH!"  
As Bell cried out in effort, Alana, watching over her brother's back, slumped unconscious to the ground. I rolled my eyes, tossed the towels at Kole, and then dragged her out by her limp arms.  
Outside, Fang was perched overhead on a tree branch, while Elise, Alana, and I waited outside the tent entrance. I was huddled despondently to one side. Elise leaned on the other side of the entrance. Alana sat next to her, mopping her face with a cloth.  
I heard Kole speak from inside. "It's a girl!"  
Elise leaned over to Alana. "So, you want to go see the baby? Or are you going to faint like an old lady again?"  
"No no, I'm good this time." Alana stood and followed Elise into the tent. Moments later Kole appeared at the entrance.  
"Odette, you have to come see this," he said and stepped back inside.  
I rose and walked morosely to the tent entrance, raised my head and looked inside. Everyone was gathered around Bell, who sat propped up on a bedroll. All attention was on the small bundle cradled in her arms.  
"She sounds healthy," Elise said, smiling.  
Kole was awed. "She's beautiful."  
"It's so...squishy looking," Alana said dubiously.  
I peered at the sweet, sleeping newborn, my expression melting into a bittersweet smile. Wesley was kneeling next to his wife, as both serenely watched their sleeping daughter. It was such a strange moment, but a good one, too. I had made so many mistakes, I had let so many people down, even Emrys. There was people dying every day, but there was also new life. I had to protect that new life. It may have been too late to help the others, but I still had a chance to make a difference.  
I would fight. I would win this war. And somehow, I would see Emrys again, weather it was in death or in the near future, I would find my friend.  
Wesley turned to her with a smile. "What should we name her?"  
Bell turned to Wesley. "I want our daughter's name to be unique. I want it to mean something."  
I was still smiling as tears welled up in my eyes, streaming down my cheeks before I wiped them away with my arm. I finally entered into the center of the tent.  
"I've been going through a really hard time lately. But you've made me... hopeful again," I said softly, gratefully.  
Bell smiled at me and then looked to her baby. "I know what I want to name our baby now. Hope."  
Wesley beamed. "That's a perfect name. Hope."  
As everyone continued to coon over the baby, Kole and I went outside where we stood beneath a tree, away from the others.  
"I thought I was trying to be strong, but really I was just running away from my feelings," I said thoughtfully. "Seeing this family together, so full of happiness and love, it reminded me of how I feel about Emrys...and how I feel about you."  
He was my best friend, and I'd treated him horridly over these past few days. Kole wiped a streaming tear from his eye as I finished speaking. Both of us stepped forward and embraced lovingly, tears welling up in my closed eyes. We disengaged as Tarren, Alana and Elise stepped towards us. Kole straightened my collar before backing away.  
We all knew what would happen now.  
"I promise I'll find Emrys as fast as I can. I just really need to do this," I said as Elise handed me my staff.  
Alana smiled sadly, punching my arm slightly. "See ya in the big city."  
"Say hi to that big fuzzball for me," Elise said and slugged my other arm, making me wince and rub it painfully.  
Kole smiled at me gently. "You'll find her Odette."  
"I know. Thank you Kole," I replied.  
I looked at them once more, my family. They would be okay, they would make it to Eralith in one piece. They were strong and they were together. The only thing I needed to worry about was myself and Emrys.  
As I snapped open my glider and prepared for takeoff, Fang stood next to me and barked, and I picked him up and cradled him against me so he would be safe during flight. Elise, Alana, Kole and Tarren all stood back a few paces.  
I glanced at him. "You ready Fang?"  
Fang barked his assent. I crouched, then hurtle into the sky as everyone waved farewell.

* * * *

Alana:

We watched as Odette and Fang soared over the barrens toward the far-off walls of Eralith.  
When they were gone, I kneeled over my pack, preparing to depart as Tarren walked up to me.  
"Alana, It's been really great to see you again," he said.  
I stood in alarm. "Whoa, hold on. Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"  
"I came along because I wanted to make sure you got through the Serpent's Pass safely. But now I need to get back to the other Kyoshi warriors," he said sadly, gesturing back.  
I was stunned. "So you came along to protect me?"  
Tarren blushed, which was absolutely adorable. "Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. We were talking, and saying things, I just got carried away and before I knew it I…"  
I surprised him with a tender kiss. Falcon may have been gone forever, but I Tarren, and that was more than enough fore me. I loved him, not Falcon. It was time to move on.  
He drew back in surprise and I gazed into his green eyes lovingly. "You talk too much."  
He smiled and kissed me back passionately. I slipped my arms around his neck, feeling more whole than I had ever felt before.

Odette:

Fang and I swooped over an open desert towards the outer wall. We reached it in no time and soared up the vertical face of the wall, impressed by the wall's awesome height as we passed through low clouds. Finally reaching the wall's summit, we performed a backwards loop and glided in for a landing.  
With Fang still in my arms, I looked serenely out over the wall at the sprawling city. Turning to look back, I froze and my expression changed to shock and dismay.  
I looked down to ground level, at the wall's base then out to the open desert. I saw a massive formation of approaching vehicles kicking up a huge dust cloud; two groups of Fire nation tanks, dwarfed by the monolithic drilling machine they flanked.  
I looked sadly to my wolf friend. "Sorry Fang, Emrys's gonna have to wait."  
Standing atop the towering wall of Eralith, I watched the approaching drilling machine.


	13. Chapter 13: The Drill

Athera:

Out of all the things I had done, this was the most cruel, the most cunning, the most malicious plan I had come up with yet.  
I loved it.  
The Fire Nation tanks rumbled across the barrens, escorting my gigantic vehicle. It was a titanic tunneling machine, 10 stories high and stretching back a great distance. The tanks flanking it appeared as little more than insignificant toys by comparison. Large segments of the drill's body pushed forward under steam power, punching steam driven spikes into the ground, then contracting again to gain forward movement. The great Drill that would bring Eralith crumbling down, a vast black iron cylinder creeping forward like a caterpillar, the tanks beside it ant-like, were positively the most beautiful sight I had ever laid eyes on.  
Inside my wonderful machine, I was seated on my throne, flanked by Naveen and Kenna.  
The war minister stepped up to address me, his eyes betraying his brave face. "This drill is a feat of scientific ingenuity and raw destructive power. Once it tunnels through the wall, our troops will storm their city. The Earth kingdom will finally fall, and you can claim Eralith in the name of your father. Nothing can stop us."  
Kenna looked away from a periscope. "Hmm. What about those muscle-y guys down there?"  
She looked back into periscope. I had already thought this through. Before us, Earth kingdom benders would be dropping into trenches right about now. A series of large trenches dug in the shadow of the wall would bar our way as my forces approached.  
My war minister walked up and sharply raped the periscope, startling Kenna. "Please, the drill's metal shell is impervious to any earthbending attack."  
I smirked at him condescendingly.  
"Oh, I'm sure it is War Minister Qin. But just to be on the safe side…" In a commanding tone, I turned to my companions. "Naveen, and Kenna, take the earthbenders out!"  
Naveen twiddled her knives across her fingers. "Finally, something to do."

Kole:

Alana, Elise and I escorted Wesley and his family out of a rocky pass toward the base of the great wall. As we reached the base, I heard a noise overhead and paused as Odette and Fang suddenly swooped down from the direction of the wall. Odette landed before us, Fang in her arms.  
"Odette, what are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Emrys?" I asked, surprised as she ran up to us, her eyes wide.  
"I was, but something stopped me. Something big."  
Odette pulled Elise over and they jointly bent a rock platform up the face of the wall, lifting us all upwards rapidly.  
"Now what's so big that Emrys has to wait?" Alana asked as we flew up.  
Odette turned grimly and pointed her finger. "That."  
I turned and my eyes flew wide with shock as I looked at an approaching, colossal machine.

* * * *

Odette:

I grimly peered out over the top of the outer wall, down toward the Fire Nation forces.  
Bell was crying in despair just behind me. "We made it to Eralith, and we're still not safe. No one is."  
Oh for the love of all that was holy would someone shut her up! I had more important things to worry about than her emotional state right now.  
"What are you people doing here? Civilians aren't allowed on the wall," an earthbender guard snapped, approaching us from behind.  
I turned sharply, looking at him with determination. "I'm the Avatar. Take me to whoever's in charge."  
He stared at me for a moment before he sighed and led me to an area atop the outer wall where a roof was supported by tall arches. An Earth kingdom general waited seated at a desk.  
The general smiled widely when he saw me, apparently recognizing me immediately. "It is an honor to welcome you to the outer wall young Avatar, but your help is not needed."  
I was taken aback.  
"Not needed?" I questioned, glancing pointedly out the window.  
The general smirked smugly. "Not needed. I have the situation under control. I assure you the Fire Nation cannot penetrate this wall. Many have tried to break through it, but none have succeeded."  
The general rose as he spoke, leading us back out towards an open area of the wall manned by soldiers standing near large stacks of boulders. Nothing lied beyond the outer face but barren wastes, while a patchwork of fertile fields grew behind it.  
The general gazed contentedly out over the inward face of the wall, us standing behind him.  
Elise crossed her arms smugly. "What about the Dragon of the West? He got in."  
I turned to her, my eyes wide in surprise as the general started.  
"Well...uh...technically yes. But he was quickly expunged. Nevertheless, that is why the city was named Eralith. It's the impenetrable city. They don't call it Nalieth." He belly laughed, then became serious. "That means penetrable city."  
"Yeah, thanks for the tour, but we still got the drill problem," Elise said, getting back to the point.  
The general paced back to look out over wastes. "Not for long. To stop it, I've sent an elite platoon of earthbenders called the Terra Team."  
"That's a good group name, very catchy," Alana mused thoughtfully.  
I watched critically as the Terra Team launched their assault on the Fire nation forces. They propelled one of the tanks into the air, then rode a surge of earth through the gap left in the tank's formation.  
"Ready... Attack!" the team leader shouted, his voice rising easily above the noise.  
The earthbenders tried to wedge several large pillars of stone against the side of the Drill, but it shattered them effortlessly. The Terra Team barely managed to raise a defensive shield against a barrage of Naveen's throwing knives. I narrowed my eyes dangerously as I spotted Naveen and Kenna rappelling down the side of the Drill toward the team. Nimbly avoiding their earthbending attacks, Kenna leapt in amongst them and began delivering a flurry of pressure-point attacks. One by one the Terra Team dropped helplessly at her feet like flies.  
The general, who had been observing from a telescope, flailed his arms in panic. "We're doomed!"  
Alana slapped general hard on the face. "Get a hold of yourself man!"  
At least someone did it.  
He rubbed his cheek, ashamed. "You're right, I'm sorry."  
"Maybe you'd like the Avatar's help now?" Elise asked, annoyed.  
The general meekly approached me and spoke in a timid voice. "Yes, please."  
I looked back out over the wall at the approaching Drill.  
"The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?" I mused, looking at it from all angles.  
At a loss, I turned to Alana. As did every one else.  
"Why are you all looking at me?" Alana asked.  
I shrugged. "You're the idea girl."  
"So I'm the only one who can ever come up with a plan? That's a lot of pressure," she complained, crossing her arms in annoyance.  
"And also the complaining girl," Kole said.  
"That part I don't mind," she shot back.

Ren:

After we reached the Ferry Landing, we came to the inside of the ticket gate. An Earth Kingdom official, a sour, heavy set woman with a large hairy mole above her eyebrow, looked over mine and Uncle's papers dubiously.  
"So, Mr. Lee, and Mr... umm Mushy was it?" she said in an unpleasant voice.  
Uncle smiled kindly. "It's pronounced Moo-shee."  
The customs lady looked up from the papers angrily and I was surprised that the flowers next to her didn't shrivel up and die right on the spot. "You telling me how to do my job?"  
Uncle stepped closer and spoke charmingly. "Uh, no no no. But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom, your beauty intoxicating."  
Umm…vomit?  
The customs lady smiled, obviously charmed.  
"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome." She made a cat-claw gesture and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Raorrr. Welcome to Eralith."  
She stamped our papers quickly and pushed us forward.  
I snatched my papers from Uncle disgustedly, trying to keep the bile from rising in my throat. "I'm gonna forget I saw that."

Detra:

Smellerbee, Longshot, and I stood in the ticket line. I silently observed Lee and Mushi stepping past the ticket gate, mainly focusing on the first. I nodded to myself, smiling slightly as I followed Lee's every movement. I turned to my companions, all the while keeping one eye focused on him.  
"I think Lee would make a good Freedom Fighter. He's just trying to find his way in the world, like us," I said.  
Smellerbee was not pleased. "You don't know anything about him Detra."  
I held my signature grass stalk to my mouth. I wasn't too sure where I had picked the habit up…perhaps after my parents had died.  
"I know he didn't get that scar from a waterbender," I shot back, narrowing my eyes. Speaking of waterbenders, maybe Lee could help me find Kole…I'd been looking for him ever since he'd dumped me in the forest and I hoped I would run into him in Eralith. That was my real reason for going.  
Smellerbee shook her head at me. "Besides, I thought we were going straight now?"  
I shrugged. "We are, and the new Freedom Fighters could use a guy like Lee. What do you think Longshot?"  
Longshot shot a meaningful look.  
Ugh, these two were such pains sometimes.  
"I can respect that," I grudgingly agreed.  
But I would get Lee in the end…possibly in more ways than one.

Kole:

I reached the enclosed infirmary atop the outer wall, where the members of the Terra Team lied on futons. General Sung, Odette , Alana, Elise and Fang watched as I spread the blue energies of my healing technique over the arm of one of the fallen warriors.  
General Sung was freaking out again. "What's wrong with him? He doesn't look injured."  
"His Chi was blocked," I explained as I dissipated the energies. "Who did this to you?"  
The Terra Team soldier moaned. "Two girls ambushed us, one of them hit me with a bunch of quick jabs, and suddenly I couldn't earthbend, and I could barely move...and then she cart wheeled away."  
My eyes widened with recognition.  
I looked away thoughtfully. "Kenna. She doesn't look dangerous, but she knows the human body and it's weak points. It's like she takes you down from the inside."  
Alana suddenly got an idea she began gesturing wildly. "Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo!"  
"Yes?" I asked, amused.  
"What you just said, that's how we're gonna take down the Drill. The same way Kenna took down all these big earthbenders," she said excitedly.  
Elise joined in on her enthusiasm. "By hitting its pressure points!"  
Odette looked out a window at the Drill below, nodding in agreement. "We'll take it down from the inside."

Odette:

I stared determinedly at the spinning face of the drill, flanked by Fire nation tanks. Ahead in its path Elise, Fang, Kole, Alana, and I were crouched down in one of the Terra Team's abandoned trenches.  
Elise gestured back towards the Drill. "Once I whip up some cover, you're not gonna be able to see, so stay close to me."  
She waited for a few moments before leaping from the trench. She began a strenuous earthbending gesture that ended with a powerful foot stomp, sending a mighty blast of dust and broken stone rocketing along the ground toward the drill.  
"Run!" she shouted.  
Racing closely behind Elise, we plunged into the swirling white dust cloud.

Athera:

Kenna again started looking out through the periscope, edgy as ever. When would she realize that so long as I was in control, things would go beautifully.  
Kenna peered more closely.  
"Hey, look at that dust cloud. It's so...poofy." She looked back to the rest of us with a spaced-out expression. "Poof!"  
War Minister Qin turned to me, smiling like an idiot. "Don't worry Princess. I'm sure it's nothing."  
I looked to him doubtfully.  
Yeah right…something was up.

Alana:

Elise and the rest of us ran through the thick dust to emerge near the front of the drill. All the little particles floating around made my eyes water and my throat burn. I felt the urge to sneeze but couldn't and I began to slowly feel like I was suffocating. We stood in the drill's shadow and Elise bent open a pit in the ground.  
"Everyone into the hole!" she said.  
Elise hopped down into the hole after us, and the surface immediately swirled shut above. Down below ground, we were submerged in utter blackness.  
"It's so dark down here, I can't see a thing," I said, feeling blindly in front of me.  
Elise feigned horror. "Oh no, what a nightmare."  
I hated it when she reminded me of her blindness. I always felt guilty afterwards. "Sorry."  
With Elise guiding us, we quickly found the surface, underneath the drill. She earthbended upwards and the ground bulged upwards and opened up. Elise went through the hole followed by the rest of us. We were standing underneath the Drill itself, a vast, gloomy region framed by long rows of tracked wheels, with the Drill's body as its ceiling.  
I spotted what we had been looking for and pointed ahead and upwards. "There!"  
An opening in the Drill's belly could be seen, with a narrow length of pipe extending out of it horizontally. Odette leapt up to catch it and hung upside down from it by her legs. She caught Kole and then me by the hands, boosting us up into the Drill. There was a pause and we realized that Elise was not following.  
I peeked out upside down from the opening. "Elise, Come on!"  
Elise looked back at me blindly, resigned. "No way am I going in that metal monster. I can't bend in there. I'll try to slow it down out here."  
Sounded reasonable enough.  
"Okay, good luck," I said and both Odette and I disappeared up into the Drill.  
In the Drill's inner corridors, I lead the others through a red-lit area of pipes and valves.  
I studied the pipes, trying to figure out what we needed to do next. "I need a plan of this machine. Some schematics that show what the inside looks like. Then we can find it's weak points."  
"Where are we gonna get something like that," Odette asked just as I abruptly drew my machete and chopped off a steam valve. "What are you doing! Someone's gonna hear us!"  
Odette looked about worriedly as the room began to fill with steam.  
"That's the point. I figure a machine this big needs engineers to run it, and when something breaks…" I said confidentially.  
Kole nodded in understanding. "They come to fix it."  
Odette and Kole exchanged pleased smiles. Moments later, a large Fire Nation engineer in a filter mask appeared through the steam holding a large wrench and a rolled up document.  
Kole appeared behind him. "Hi."  
Kole bent the steam, condensing it into an icy shell that entrapped the engineer.  
I ran up and took the plans from his fat, beefy hands. "This'll work, thanks!"  
I ran off, leaving the engineer standing helplessly, eventually dropping the wrench in his other hand.  
I led the others up metal stairs, stopping to unroll the plans across a large pipe.  
I studied the cross-diagram of Drill. "It looks like the Drill is made up of two main structures. There's the inner mechanism, where we are now, and the outer shell. The inner part and the outer part are connected by these braces. If we cut through them, the entire thing will collapse."  
Both Odette and Kole nodded in agreement and we all raced off hurriedly.

Ren:

When we finally made it to the debarkation point for Eralith, which resembled a large stone train station, I practically fell over with relief. People were milling about in groups, chattering about idle war gossip. Uncle and I were seated with arms crossed at a waiting area. Detra casually sat down next to me and I felt my skin crawl. She had been hanging around me too much for my liking.  
"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" she asked, pressing her arm up against me.  
"Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Eralith!" a tea peddler called, walking by.  
All three of us looked up to see the tea merchant pushing a concession cart in front of us.  
Uncle waved an arm. "Oh! Jasmine, please."  
The peddler poured tea into Uncle's bowl, who delightedly took a sip. His eyes widened in shock and he spat it out in disgust. "Blaugh! Ugh. Coldest tea in Eralith is more like it. What a disgrace!"  
Detra smiled before she tugged my arm lightly. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"  
This was not going to be good.  
Detra gestured for me to follow her as I ignored the tea episode. I rose reluctantly and sighed.  
Detra walked away from where Uncle sat, swinging her hips as she spoke. "You and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. You want to join the Freedom Fighters?"  
I knew it. "Thanks, but I don't think you want me in your gang."  
Detra laughed and slapped my chest lightly, flirting. "Come on, we made a great team looting that Captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees."  
I turned and walked back towards Uncle, creped out. "I said no."  
Detra was mildly surprised. She glared after me with her dark green eyes and tossed her red hair over her shoulder, miffed. "Have it your way."  
I froze though when I turned and saw my Uncle. I looked back just as Detra focused in on him, who was carefully enjoying the tea now steaming vigorously in his cup. Detra suddenly bristled and her eyes opened wide in shock, realizing what she was seeing.  
Reaching Uncle, I looked back toward Detra, who now wore a look of hostile suspicion on his face. Detra turned and walked off.  
Watching Detra leave, I abruptly turned and dashed the cup of tea from my uncle's hand.  
"Hey!" he snapped, surprised.  
"What are you doing firebending your tea?! For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move," I growled through clenched teeth.  
"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but…" Uncle sniffled mournfully at the cup that was shown overturned in a puddle. "That's so sad."

Alana:

I lead the others out a doorway and onto a massive steel beam.  
I studied the plans again as we walked. "Wow, it looks a lot thicker in person than it does in the plans. We're going to have to work pretty hard to cut through that."  
Kole crossed his arms irritably. "What's this "we" stuff? Odette and I are going to have to do all the work."  
So true.  
I turned and gestured to myself. "Look, I'm the plan girl. You two are the "cut stuff up with waterbending" guys. Together, we're Team Avatar!"  
I stuck a pose, smiling hugely in encouragement.  
Odette and Kole exchanged mortified looks. My brother then sighed and pulled Odette over to start working on a beam. He bended water out of his flask, sending it to ring against the edge of a vertical beam before being caught by Odette, who bent it back towards him along the same path. As the water zinged back in forth, a cut began to form in the side of the thick beam. Wearing looks of strenuous concentration, Odette and Kole again and again sent the water scything back through the diagonal cut. After a while, the cut had reached the midway point through the beam. Kole and Odette were bent over and gasping with exhaustion.  
I pumped my arms in the air, urging them on. "C'mon team, don't quit now, we're…"  
Kole exploded with frustration. "Grrrrrr!"  
He shot a menacing glare back at me and I stood, wide-eyed, arms still in air.  
"I mean," I recovered and pointed reassuringly. "You're almost there."  
The two of them resumed slicing away at the girder little by little. I watched on, an eager look of anticipation growing on my face. Finally the beam was cut completely in two, and the upper section grinded down the angled cut a few inches before screeching to a halt.  
Kole was exhausted. "At this rate, we won't do enough damage before the drill reaches the wall."  
Odette sat down to rest. "I don't know how many more of those I have in me."  
An ominous shudder and low moan passed down the length of the Drill.  
"Do you hear that? We took it down. We better get out of here fast!" I said.  
As we raced away, we paused at a doorway as a voice came down from overhead speaking tubes.  
"Congratulations crew, the Dill has made contact with the wall of Eralith," a voice said. "Start the countdown to victory!"  
Frantic, I ran back and struggled futilely against the severed girder.  
"C'mon brace, budge!" I grimaced, throwing myself at it with all my might.  
Everyone else rested on the large horizontal beam, while I made several efforts to push the severed one.  
Kole was panicking. "This is bad, really bad."  
"Were putting everything we've got into busting these braces, but it's taking too long!" I snapped, kicking the stupid thing angrily.  
Odette was suddenly inspired and perked up, levitating to her feet. "Maybe we don't need to cut all the way through. Elise has been teaching me that you shouldn't give 100% of your energy into any one strike. Alana, take a fighting stance. You've gotta be quick and accurate."  
She hooked a foot around one of my ankles, pulling me off balance. "Hit a series of points, and break your opponent's stance." She hit me with a series of pretend blows. "And when he's reeling back, you deliver the final blow." She bonked me lightly on the head. "His own weight becomes his downfall. Literally."  
As she finished speaking, I collapsed forward comically.  
Kole nodded. "So we just need to weaken the braces, instead of cut all the way through."  
Odette pointed upward. "Then I'll go to the top of this thing, and deliver the final blow."  
I raised my arms, excited again. "And boom, it all comes crashing down!"  
"Everyone inside that wall, the whole world, is counting on us," Odette said passionately and I let her words sink in for a moment. She was right.  
"The whole world, minus the Fire Nation that is," I said, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere.  
I grinned, while the others looked on, exasperated.  
We jumped to it.  
Kole and Odette hurriedly inflicted cuts into various support beams.  
"That's enough, we need to get to the next one!" Odette said after they finished with their tenth one.

Athera:

In the command center, War Minister Qin, the crew, and I listened to messages coming from the various speaking tubes.  
The speaker in the first tube was alarmed. "War Minister, an engineer was ambushed! His schematics were stolen!"  
It's about time…I was starting to worry they would make this too easy.  
The War Minister looked shocked, while my eyes narrowed in suspicion. I had a feeling I knew who was behind this.  
Another boy came onto the second speaker, also alarmed. "War Minister, a brace on the starboard side has been cut clean through! It's sabotage sir!"  
The War Minister was frozen in terror, watching me from the corners of his eyes.  
Weakling.  
Amused, I turned from Qin to Naveen and Kenna. "Let's go ladies."

Odette:

Kole and I continued our sabotage. We were running out of time, and I knew we needed to step it up or else Eralith was doomed. As we worked, Alana continued to cheer us on encouragingly.  
"Good work Team Avatar. Now Odette just needs to…" She suddenly glanced up and her pretty blue eyes flew wide. "DUCK!"  
She ducked and covered just in time to avoid a blast of blue flame. Athera, Naveen and Kenna ran out onto another massive girder well above us.  
I narrowly avoided a second blast that went right over my head. "Whoa!"  
"Wow Athera, you were right, it is the Avatar!" Kenna said, tossing her braid over her shoulder and smiling seductively at Kole "... and friends."  
Kole smiled vacantly and waved back. "Hey."  
I glared at him while Alana marched past and yanked him off. As we rushed off, Kenna dropped to the bottom edge of the girder and swung out towards me and I threw her backwards with a gust of wind. My friends and I fled down corridors and screeched to a halt when we came to a T intersection.  
"Guys get out of here, I know what I need to do," I said, pushing the siblings. Without waiting for their reply, I headed other direction with Fang.  
Kole stopped me before I got too far. "Wait! You need this water more than I do!"  
As I turned, he drew out his flask of bending water and threw it to me. Alana and Kole rushed down a corridor, while Fang and I continued to head the opposite direction.  
Athera reached intersection just then.  
"Follow them, the Avatar is mine," she growled at them. Athera raced off after me, while Naveen and Kenna pursued the others.

Naveen:

Our targets reached a dead end with a large hatch marked by a large symbol.  
"Slurry pipeline What does that mean?" the guy asked, his eyes terrified as Kenna and I ran down the long hallway towards them.  
The girl finally opened the hatch. I knew what they would find in there.  
"It's rock and water mixed together, it means our way out," she said.  
As the boy began to lower his self into the slurry pipe I drew my knives, drawing closer. He let go and plunged in followed by the girl, just as I got close enough to throw my knives. I watched as they ricocheted off the open slurry hatch. Both splash into the slurry neck-deep and were quickly swept away by the current.  
I looked down into the slurry flow, completely revolted. "Ughh, disgusting!"  
Kenna peered down. "Come on, you heard Athera. We have to follow them."  
Nope.  
"She can shoot all the lightning she wants at me, I am not going in that wall sludge juice," I said blandly.  
I shuddered.  
Kenna hopped down into the slurry flow, sending up a great splash that narrowly missed me. With a final expression of disgust I slammed closed the slurry hatch.

Odette:

I raced through the Drill's engineering section with airbending speed, past engineers who barely detected me through their respirator masks. Athera was close behind me, a malicious smirk on her face. I honestly could not believe her and Ren were related. She was nasty and cruel and just plain evil. Sure, Ren was just as deadly, but he wasn't evil or bad. He was desperate, and confused. There had been multiple times when he could have killed me, but he'd held his self back. Athera was just psychotic.  
I finally raced up a long ladder toward the Drill's surface and burst into the sunlight.

Kole:

Screaming with fear, Alana and I rode the cascade of slurry out the rear spout of the Drill, sliding to a halt in the grayish ooze.  
Alana tried to wipe the revolting stuff off of her tongue and pounded her fists into the slurry in disgust. Kenna emerged from pipe exhaust, riding waist deep in the slurry flow with a look of wicked anticipation on her face. Just as she was about to reach the ground, I bent back the rush of slurry, pinning Kenna at the terminus of the pipe.  
"Why don't you try blocking my chi now circus freak!" I snapped fiercely. I stood resolutely with one hand upraised.  
"Kole, keep that up. The pressure will build up in the drill, then when Odette delivers the final blow, it will be ready to pop!" Alana said, smiling wickedly.

Odette:

Fang and I emerged from an opening onto the Drill's upper hull. We started racing towards the front of the Drill, which had already penetrated deep into the wall.  
"This looked like a good spot Fang," I said, sliding to a stop. I glanced up and barely avoided the large boulder that bounced off where I was standing. "Aggh!"  
I dodged a second and third boulder as they continued to rain down from above.  
I shouted upward. "General Sung, tell your soldiers to stop shooting rocks down here!"  
He apparently didn't hear me because Sung drew his hands up to his face in distress, while the row of benders next to him released another volley of boulders.  
Giving up on that, I vaulted past this new wave of stones, and as I landed, began rapidly scything the surface of the drill with the water Kole gave to me.

Kole:

At the rear of the Drill, I continued to block the pipe's exhaust with a slurry ball containing Kenna.  
Alana spoke to me in a lecturing tone. "Good technique little bro! Keep it up! Don't forget to breathe!"  
"You know, I am just about sick and tired of you telling me what to do all day. You're like a chattering Hog-Monkey!" I snapped, finally loosing my temper.  
"Just bend the slurry man!" she screamed back at me.  
Annoyed, I bended up a rush of slurry with my free hand, launching Kenna up to plunge back down into the foul muck.  
Elise emerged from beneath the Drill. "You guys need some help?"  
I nodded. "Elise, help me plug up this drain!"  
Bracing her muddy legs she coordinated with me, driving the slurry-plug even further up the pipe.

Odette:

Fountains of slurry begin to Detra where the Drill meets the wall. Nearby I continued to rapidly cut away at the outer hull in an X pattern.  
"What I'd give to be a metal bender," I huffed, winded.  
Fang, perched neck to me, turned and gave out a warning cry, allowing me to turn and deflect a deadly blast of blue fire. Fang narrowly avoided the flame.  
"Fang, get out of here!" I snapped and assumed a fighting stance.  
I glared fearlessly at Athera as she readied a stance with a look of steady confidence. There was about a dozen yards distance between us as we faced off on top of the drill.  
Athera began by launching a ball of fire at me and I ducked and simultaneously sent an arc of wind towards her. Leaping over the windblast, Athera once again attacked, but was forced to counter a rapid series of water-whips that kept slapping away her attack gestures. Leaping into the air, Athera delivered a pair of flying firebending kicks that completely vaporized the water I was bending, sending me spinning back. She was prevented from pressing the attack however, as another barrage of boulders from above forced both of us to dodge. I caught one of the boulders with bending, sending it hurtling at Athera who fell into a split to avoid it, rose, and launched another fire blast. I earthbended pieces of debris into a protective wall, then punched chunks of it toward Athera. Kicking them out of the air, she launched a sweeping counter blast which barely missed my head and I responded by punching an even larger chunk towards her. Vaulting into the air, Athera executed an incredible forward spinning double-kick fire blast, obliterating my defensive wall and hurtling me backwards to slam against the outer wall.  
Stars burst before my vision as my head cracked against the stone wall.  
Readying another attack, Athera paused as she saw me drop to my knees and slump forward, unconscious.  
When I came to again, Athera was holding me against the wall by the back of my shirt's collar. I slowly began to rouse, focusing on a blurry Athera preparing to deliver the final blow. My eyes snapped open in alarm, then my right hand cracked open the surface of the wall and surrounded itself with a mitt of broken rock.  
I caught Athera's fire punch in the rock mitt and shoved her far back with it, her steel shod boots sparking against the Drill's hull. I struck a defiant earthbending stance as Athera charged towards me, both hands ablaze.  
The battle was suddenly interrupted by a blast of slurry that erupted at the point where the Drill met the wall, throwing me from my feet before surging out to crash against the onrushing Athera. I flailed about, trying to regain my feet, and just managed to make it to my knees before Athera, arms wind milling, skated helplessly through the slop to send us both careening into the wall. Knocked momentarily senseless, we both slid face-first through the slurry and away from the wall, diverging to slip down opposite sides of the Drill. Recovering, Athera tried to stop her descent using her hands and feet, her steel-toed boots sparking. She managed to stop herself midway down the side of the Drill, clutching at it precariously. I meanwhile slid down my back, my rock mitt breaking apart as I tried to stop myself with it. I was rescued by Fang, swooping down, catching the back of my collar and pulling me upright so that I could use my swift-running technique to regain the top of the Drill. I leapt back onto the back of the Drill, and Fang settled by my side.  
I scratched his head. "Thanks Fang, I owe you one."  
I walked along the Drill's back, through the slurry mess, to stop at the X cut into the plating.  
"Now all I need is a…" A boulder crashed down, startling me to death. "Actually, that is what I needed for once."  
Bending the boulder around to the incision, I began a series of sweeping earthbending moved, each one slicing away a large chunk of the boulder. Eventually I was left with a large stone spike pointed down into the breach. I dropped back, fell into a sprinter's stance and started running toward the wall. Nearing it I bent up a ball of air and leapt atop it, riding up the sheer face of the outer wall. As I rocketed up the wall the ball dissipated, and I began to run up the vertical face. As my momentum fell away, I turned - having nearly reached the top of the outer wall - the Drill far below me.  
With a powerful shout I completed my turn and wind-sprinted downward at a fantastic speed. Meanwhile, Athera had finally crawled back up to the top of the Drill and spotted me streaking down the face of the wall. With a shout, I leapt free of the wall and plunged downward as Athera prepared a potent blast to intercept me. Her attack passed just over my head as I struck the spike with incredible force. The explosive shockwave hurled a screaming Athera through the air as it traveled the length of the Drill. The metal buckled under my feet as a chain of slurry eruptions began at the front segment and worked their way towards the rear.

Kole:

Elise and I were still in bending stances, with Alana standing behind us.  
"Here it comes!" Elise said and began raising the three of us up on a pillar of rock.  
As the rock pillar rose from the lake of slurry, a great rush of it issued from the exhaust spout. Kenna was washed up against the pillar, slammed against it and held there by the powerful current. Safe atop the pillar, we watched as one by one the segments of the Drill slumped to a stop, great clouds of steam rising from us as the massive bit slowly stopped rotating. The steaming drill was now nearly submerged in slurry.  
Odette had done it.

Athera:

Kenna sat up from the slurry pool, wiping clear her face, and spitting out a mouthful of mud in disgust as I slid down the back of the Drill, dropping down next to her and splashing her with a fresh layer of mud.  
Furious, I looked back to see a steaming hatch open in the rear of the drill, revealing a somber Naveen.  
"We lost," she said dully.  
I clenched my fists and looked to the top of the drill with hate.  
I was going to slice that little brat's head off!

Detra:

I had been so foolish to think Lee was a normal, nice person. I couldn't trust anyone anymore…except maybe for Kole. He would have never betrayed me like this. Before, the only reason why he'd left me frozen to a tree was because that little Avatar, goody-two-shoes witch had him so wrapped around her slender fingers he was blind.  
We were at the Train Station where an ornate stone train had finally arrived to pick up passengers.  
"Last call for Eralith!" a conductor called.  
I strode angrily toward the train, flanked by Smellerbee and Longshot. I had been ranting at them endlessly for over half an hour now, furious and in disbelief that they had so easily fooled me. That scar on Lee's face…it was probably from being disowned or something. He was probably fleeing to Eralith to avoid trouble with the authorities or to be the first to break into the impenetrable city. Eralith was in danger, and I had the power to stop them, and I would.  
Smellerbee was exasperated. "Detra, relax! So the old guy had some hot tea. Big deal."  
"He heated it himself!" I snapped, trying to get them to believe me. "Those guys are firebenders."

Ren:

This was bad, this was very, very bad.  
Uncle and I boarded a car on the train. I knew Detra, Smellerbee and Longshot were watching us and I pretended like I didn't even notice them. Detra raised her collar and Longshot pulled down his hat as they attempted to look inconspicuous as they boarded a few cars down.  
I sat down with my arms crossed, angry at my Uncle's stupidity. We were supposed to have started out in Eralith peacefully, lay low for a while until I figured out a way to get to Odette without getting caught. But now, thanks to Uncle, I had to now watch out for Detra who would possibly go to the authorities or try to handle it herself. I hoped for the later, that way I could take her out myself with a good excuse.  
Uncle, sat down between me and a young woman with a baby. He glanced at me before leaning over and smiling at the woman. She was cradling a sleeping newborn in her lap while a grinning. Her husband had his arm draped over her shoulders.  
"What a handsome baby," Uncle said and tickled her blanket with his finger.  
"Thank you."  
I looked at the baby's peacefully sleeping face while her mother beamed over her.

Odette:

Elise, Fang, Alana, Kole, and I watched the sun set over the barrens from atop the outer wall.  
"I just want to say, good effort out there today Team Avatar," Alana said enthusiastically and I rolled my eyes.  
Kole turned to her, slightly annoyed. "Enough with the Team Avatar stuff. No matter how many times you say it, it's not gonna catch on."  
"How about…" She whipped out her boomerang, startling Fang. "The 'Boomerang Squad!'"  
I considered it before smiling slightly. "I kinda like that one."  
Kole groaned. "Let's talk about this on our way into the city."  
We started walking away as Alana continued behind us.  
"The 'Odette Gang'?"  
"Alana."  
"The "Fearsome Foursome"?"  
Elise shook her head. "You're crazy."  
Alana was now alone. "Why? We're fearsome!"


	14. Chapter 14: City of Walls and Secrets

Kole:

I looked out the window at some wolf antelopes grazing on a hill side. They looked up at the monorail tracks above them as a car we were in slid past, pushed by two earthbenders. Inside the car, Odette, Alana, Elise, Fang, and I were awaiting our arrival at Eralith. I looked out the window and spotted the inner wall of the capital drawing closer.  
"Look, the inner wall. I can't believe we finally made it to Eralith in one piece," I breathed in relief.  
"Hey don't jinx it! We could still be attacked by some giant, exploding Fire Nation spoon. Or find out the city's been submerged in an ocean full of killer shrimp," Alana said, her eyes bugging out.  
I shook my head as Elise snickered.  
"You been hitting the cactus juice again?" she asked.  
Alana glared at her. "I'm just sayin', weird stuff happens to us."  
A very strange man with a glossy stare and a large yellow plant in his mouth suddenly took a seat between Elise and Alana, startling them. He stared ahead blankly and chewed the plant.  
How bout that?  
Odette looked out the window then closed her eyes sadly.  
I knew what was wrong immediately. "Don't worry Odette, we'll find Emrys."  
She looked to me, her grey eyes wide with worry. "It's such a big city."  
Alana smiled at her gently. "She's a giant dragon. Where could someone possibly hide her? Oh…"  
The car passed through the inner wall and entered the vas, enormous city. Eralith stretched almost as far as the eye could see, and was riddled with many roads and buildings. Their car finally came to a stop at the monorail station. All of us disembarked and were greeted by another spectacular view of Eralith.  
Elise sighed sadly. "Back in the city. Great."  
Alana was surprised. "What's the problem? It's amazing!"  
Elise shrugged. "Just a bunch of walls and rules. You wait; you'll get sick of it in a couple of days."  
Odette looked at the dragon whistle resting in her palm. She brought it to her lips and blew it as she looked across the city.  
"I'm comin' for you buddy. She's here. I can feel it," she said, perking up a bit.  
Behind our group, the monorail cars departed. On the other side of the track was a woman with long dark hair that billowed in the wind. She approached them with an unnatural smile on her face.  
"Hello, my name is Nyra. I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Eralith. And you must be Alana, Kole, and Elise. Welcome to our wonderful city. Shall we get started?"  
Alana nodded. "Yes. We have information about the Fire Nation army that we need to deliver to the Earth King immediately."  
Nyra ignored her. "Great, let's begin our tour. And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it."  
Nyra turned around and attempted to lead Odette and us away.  
Alana wouldn't have that. "Augh! Maybe you missed what I said. We need to talk to the King about the war, it's important."  
Nyra smiled. "You're in Eralith now. Everyone is safe here."  
Everyone had a confused look on their face in reaction to Nyra's odd statement.

Odette:

An ostrich horse was pulling a carriage containing Nyra, my friends, and I through the streets of Eralith. Many shops and refugees lined the streets, poor yet surprisingly happy.  
Nyra explained the different sights as we went. "This is the lower ring."  
Kole turned to her. "What's that wall for?"  
Nyra looked to where he was pointing. "Oh, Eralith has many walls. There are the ones outside protecting us, and the one's inside that help maintain order. This is where our newest arrivals live, as well as our craftsman and artisans, people that work with their hands. It's so quaint and lively."  
I had a second opinion on that as I spotted two shady men conversing in an alley. One of them was holding a large sword that glistened in the light. Both glared at the carriage as it passed.  
"You do want to watch your step though," Nyra said, catching my look.  
Kole frowned. "Why do they have all these poor people blocked off in one part of the city?"  
"This is why I never came here before. I always heard it was so different from the way the monks taught us to live," I said bitterly. I had a feeling Elise was going to be right about this place.

Ren:

In the lower ring, Uncle and I walked down the street. Uncle caught up to me from behind, holding a large vase with several orange flowers placed in it. I stared coldly at the flora, wondering why he was lugging the stupid thing around.  
Uncle caught my look and smiled. "I just want our new place to look nice in case someone brings home a lady friend."  
He gave me a small nudge with his elbow and I groaned. If he was thinking of Detra, vomit. If he was thinking of Odette…maybe. No! No not maybe. I seriously needed to stop doing that or else I was going to kill myself. If I saw Odette, I had to capture her, weather I loved her or not…which regrettably, I did. It was the only way I would be able to get out of this hellhole.  
"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here," I growled.  
Uncle smiled at me. "Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. Now come on, I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon."  
I groaned as we continued walking.

Detra:

I stared hard at the two fire benders, feeling my blood broil knowing that they had succeeded into making it into Eralith so easily.  
"Look at them, firebenders living right under everyone's nose," I growled in disgust. Smellerbee and Longshot walked up to me from an alley.  
Smellerbee sighed, annoyed. "Detra, you saw a man with a hot cup of tea. It doesn't prove he's a firebender. And what if he is, are we supposed to attack them? I thought we were starting over here, changing our ways."  
I rolled my eyes. "We are, when I get the evidence I need, I'll report them to the police and let them handle it. Ok?"  
They gave me suspicious looks that I ignored.

Odette:

Nyra continued to take my friends and I on the tour of Eralith. At the moment, our carriage was crossing over a bridge. We were now in a much cleaner and nicer looking part of the city.  
"This is the middle ring of Eralith, home to the financial district, shops and restaurants and the university," she said, her weird grin still on her face.  
"Yeah, we met a Professor from Eralith University. He took us to an ancient underground library where we discovered information about the war that is absolutely crucial for the King to hear!" Alana said, trying for the hundredth time to get her to take us to the Earth King. Alana said this all in one breath, and leaned in close to Nyra to emphasize her point. Nyra simply grinned cheerfully.  
"Isn't history fascinating? Look, here's one of the oldest buildings in the middle ring, Town Hall."  
The carriage stopped and Nyra exited. Alana stared after her, bewildered.  
She turned to us, shocked. "Is that woman deaf She only seems to hear every other word I say."  
"It's called "being handled". Get used to it."  
Elise crossed her arms and Kole and I looked at Alana hopelessly.

Ren:

Our new job was located in a small tea shop in the lower ring. Detra was leaning against the shop's wall near the window, stalking me. She turned around and peeked inside, watching as Uncle and I spoke with the tea shop owner. I did my best to keep cool and act like she was not there.  
"Well, you certainly look like official tea servers. How do you feel?" the shop owner asked, turning to me.  
"Ridiculous," I growled.  
Uncle and I were both wearing aprons. Uncle desperately attempted to tie the string behind his back, but his effort was in vain.  
"Uh, Does this possibly come in a larger size?" he asked.  
Oh would the embarrassment never end?  
"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait," the shop owner said.  
He poured two cups of tea and handed them to us before heading to the back of the shop. Uncle took a sip from his cup, but quickly pulled it away, his face contorted in disgust.  
"Eeow! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"  
I paused then looked at him questioningly. "Uncle, that's what all tea is."  
Uncle was outraged. "How can a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here."  
He grabbed the tea pot and headed over to the window Detra was spying through. I looked over slightly and saw her gasp and pull away just in time as Uncle dumped the tea out the window.  
That was going to be a problem real fast.

Odette:

Our endless tour had come to the Upper Ring, a beautiful area full of rolling hills. Tall pagodas were seen sitting atop of these hills.  
Nyra spoke as we looked around in awe. "The Upper Ring is home to our most important citizens. Your house is not too far from here."  
The carriage passed by another wall with a tall gate. Behind it the roof of an enormous building could be seen. Three men standing in the gateway, wearing dark robes and wide brimmed hats, turned their eyes towards us.  
"What's inside that wall?" Kole asked.  
Alana leaned over. "And who are the mean looking guys in robes?"  
Nyra smiled. "Inside is the Royal Palace. Those men are agents of the Dai Li, the cultural authority of Eralith. They are the guardians of all our traditions."  
I was getting fed up with all this stupid information. "Can we see the King now?"  
Nyra shut me down immediately. "Oh, no! One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King."  
I nodded my head sadly. I didn't look up again until we pulled up to a small but very lovely house.  
"Here we are. Your new home." A messenger ran up to Nyra and handed her a scroll. She quickly read it and then looked up at us. "More good news, your request for an audience with the Earth King is being processed, and should be put through in about a month. Much more quickly than usual."  
Alana was stunned. "A month!"  
"Six to eight weeks, actually." Nyra grinned at us while we all stared at her dumbfounded.

Kole:

The living room was…ridiculous. There were lit lamps hanging from the ceiling, cushy pillows, plush carpet, glossy wooden floors, and a bunch more. Elise and I were sitting on square mats in the middle of the room. Behind us were some steps leading to a slightly elevated portion of the room.  
Nyra was walking around with her creepy smile glued to her face. "Isn't it nice? I think you will really enjoy it here."  
"I think we'd enjoy it more if we weren't staying so long. Can't we see the King any sooner?" Alana pressed, irritated.  
Nyra shook her head. "The Earth King is very busy running the finest city in the world, but he will see you as soon as time permits."  
"If we are going to be here for a month, we should spend our time looking for Emrys," Odette said, brushing her hair out of her face.  
Fang perked up at the mention of Emrys.  
Nyra bowed. "I'll be happy to escort you anywhere you would like to go."  
"We don't need a babysitter. "Elise stood up and began heading for the door.  
"Oh, I won't get in the way," she said as she took a small step into Elise's path. "And to leave you alone would make me a bad host. Where shall we start?"

Odette:

Nyra decided the best place to start would be at the pet store. Go figure.  
As we were speaking to the nervous shop owner, I watched at Fang jumped on to the bowl of birdseed that was handing by a pole and began eating the birdseed but was quickly scared off by a cat owl as it screeched at him. I shook my head at him before tuning back into what the owner was saying.  
"I'm sorry, but I haven't heard anything about a dragon. I didn't even know there are any," he said and I nodded. I'd had low hopes for this place to begin with.  
"If someone wanted to sell a stolen animal without anyone knowing, where would they go?" I pressed.  
"Where's the black market? Who runs it? Come on, you know!" Alana pointed an accusing finger at the owner, agitated.  
The pet shop owner was nervous and perspiring. "Uh…"  
He looked at Nyra standing behind Alana and I and I watched her out of the corner of my eyes and saw her smile at him and slowly shake her head.  
"That would be illegal. You'll have to leave now. Your wolf is harassing my sparrowkeets," he said hurriedly.  
I looked over and saw Fang at another birdseed bowl surrounded by squawking sparrowkeets. He covered his head and quickly gobbled a several small mouthfuls of birdseed.  
The next place we looked in was the courtyard of Eralith University. There were a few students walking around and a tall statue in the middle. We started speaking to a lone student sitting at the foot of the statue's pedestal. He was a nerdy looking boy, with bucked teeth, round thick glasses, flat nose, and neat hair. When I walked up to him, his eyes grew twice as large behind his glasses and he smiled shyly at me.  
"Hi," I said as I walked up and kneeled down slightly. "My name is Odette and I was just wondering if you happened to know where any sandbenders might be?"  
"Hmm, I've never seen any sandbenders or nomads around here. You should ask Professor Zei, he teaches the class on dessert cultures," he said, his voice high pitched like he had not yet hit puberty.  
Alana stepped forward, snapping him out of the googly-eyed looks he was giving me. "Right. And which of your professors could we ask about the war with the Fire Nation?"  
The student, unsure of what to do, glanced at Nyra, who was still smiling and standing behind the rest of us. I didn't have to look to know she was shaking her head at the student. Alana caught this out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at Nyra, but she stopped before she could tell what she is doing.  
The student looked back to me, nervous. "Uh, I don't know. I'm not a political science student. I have to get to class. Ugh!"  
The student hurried to get away, but tripped and dropped the scrolls he was carrying. He gasped and grumbled as he picked them back up and continued on. Nyra waved goodbye as he went and I narrowed my eyes. She needed to go.  
We gave up - well Nyra gave up - and we returned to the house. Once there, we stood on the steps while Nyra sat inside the carriage and talked to us through window.  
"Well, I'm sorry no one has seen your dragon. Why don't you go get some rest? Someone will be over with dinner later," she said.  
We all watched her in annoyance as the carriage drove off. I shook my head and turned to go back when I suddenly noticed something across the street that caught my eye. A man in the house across from us was peeking through a window at us.  
Alana noticed too and leaned over to whisper. "Hey, come with me."  
Everyone followed her across the street. She knocked on the front door and the same man appeared and opened the door a crack, smiling at us.  
"You're the Avatar. I heard you were in town. I'm Nicholas," he said, smiling still.  
What was with all the smiles in this place?  
Alana nodded slightly and cut right to the chase. "So Nicholas, what's goin' on with this city? Why is everyone here so scared to talk about the war?"  
Nicholas shifted his eyes left and right. "War? Scared? What do you mean?"  
Elise smirked and leaned against the doorframe. "I can feel you shaking."  
"Look, I'm just a minor government official. I've waited 3 years to get this house. I don't want to get into trouble," he replied, looking left and right to make sure no one was watching.  
Kole frowned. "Get in trouble with who?"  
Nicholas put a finger to his lips. "Shh, listen, you can't mention the war here, and whatever you do, stay away from the Dai Li."  
Nicholas slid the door shut and everyone stared at each other, confused.

Detra:

I was at a complex of apartments. It was night time now, and from a balcony in the shadows, hiding behind a clothesline, I spied on Lee and Mushi in the apartment across from me. I could see them through the windows on both sides of the room, and I shifted my gaze to either side as they talked. Mushi was standing by a counter with a teapot and Lee was lying on a cot.  
"Would you like a pot of tea?" the old man asked.  
Lee groaned bitterly. "We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea!"  
"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!" Mushi rummaged through the cupboard beneath the counter. "Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?"  
"They're not there," I murmured to myself, smug. I opened one of my palms to reveal two emerald green spark rocks. "You'll have to firebend, old man. Where are you going?"  
I narrowed my eyes as Mushi walked away for a moment. He soon returned with a pair of spark rocks.  
"I borrowed our neighbors, such kind people."  
Mushi struck the spark rocks together near the small pile of twigs beneath the teapot. They quickly ignited and a small flame was created. I clenched my teeth in annoyance and ducked behind the clothesline and left.

Kole:

Morning had come, and a blue jay was singing in the trees. I walked out from the front door, stretching and yawning. I grabbed a roll of papers sticking out of a mail slot attached to the wall. I read it briefly and gasped with excitement before running back inside. The others were all lounging around the upper part of the living room.  
"I've got it! I know how we're gonna see the Earth King!" I said excitedly, hoping to cheer Odette up.  
"How are we supposed to do that? 'One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King,'" Elise said, mimicking Nyra.  
I smiled. "The King is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear."  
Odette sat up. "You mean Platypus-Bear?"  
"No, it just says 'Bear,'" I said dully.  
Alana wasn't understanding. "Certainly you mean his pet Skunk-Bear."  
"Or his Armadillo-Bear," Elise seconded.  
Odette coked her head to the side. "Gopher-Bear?"  
"Just…'Bear'."  
Elise spoke after a silent moment. "This place is weird."  
After a moment of silence we all seemed to agree with this last statement.  
"The palace will be packed. We can sneak in with the crowd," I said, getting back on topic.  
Elise laid down, smirking. "Won't work."  
"Why not?"  
"Well, no offense to you simple country folk, but a real society crowd would spot you from a mile away. You've got no manners," she said.  
Elise grabbed a pastry from a bowl next to her and started eating it.  
Odette placed her hands on her slender hips. "Excuse me? I've got no manners? You're not exactly lady fancy fingers."  
Elise burped, proving my point.  
"I learned proper society behavior and chose to leave it." She threw the half eaten pastry off to the side. "You never learned anything. And frankly, it's a little too late."  
She picked her nose and flicked the snot off her finger.  
"Ah-Ha, but you learned it. You could teach us," Alana said.  
"Yeah, how hard could manners be," I said and grabbed a nearby curtain and draped it around myself like a noble's robe. I began talking in a very sophisticated manner. "Good evening, Ms. Alana Watertribe. Ms. Odette Avatar. Lord Fang of the Fang Dynasty, your Fang-ness."  
Fang peeked out from a carpet he was hiding under and nodded his head. Alana was now wearing a curtain like me.  
Alana mimicked a typical high class snob. "Kole, how you do? Go on."  
I bowed to Alana and Alana bowed back. I tried to out do Alana's bow with a deeper bow and Alana returned this bow with an even deeper bow. Both of us tried to bow at the same time, but we knocked each other's foreheads' together and fell backward.  
"Ow!" I snapped, rubbing the red spot on my forehead.  
"Odette might be able to pull it off, but you two would be lucky to pass as busboys," Elsie said, gesturing to my sister and I.  
Alana frowned. "But I feel so fancy."  
Something small landed on Alana's head and she frowned sadly.

Odette:

It had reached dusk now and the lights inside had been lit. When Elise and I walked out of the room, the two siblings were playing some sort of game with their hands. Kole's was balled into a fist and Alana was wiggling her fingers.  
"Earth!"  
"Fire! Augh! Ooh!"  
Alana grumbled at having lost the game. Kole raised his hands in triumph before he flicked Alana's forehead. Elise and I walked out, wearing exquisite Earth Kingdom dresses and holding fans. Our hair was tied around head dresses decorated with flowers, and both of us were wearing makeup - something I hated because it made me feel like a clown. Elise and I stared at the siblings calmly before giving in to a fit of giggles. Kole blushed and stared dreamily at the site of us, mostly me.  
"Wow, you look beautiful," he said, eyeing me up and down.  
Alana's hand inched towards his head and delivered a flick to his forehead. I was about to say something when Elise placed her fan in front of my mouth.  
"Don't talk to the commoners, Odette. First rule of society," she said and I nodded.  
"We'll get in the party, and then find a way to let you in through the side gate," I said.  
Kole and Alana watched as we left the house.

Detra:

I was outside the tea shop the next day. An officer walked in through the door then a guard.  
I was spying on the shop from an alley, keeping to the shadows, waiting for the right moment.  
"Detra, we need to talk," Smellerbee's voice suddenly spoke behind me. I turned in surprise and saw Longshot and her standing right behind me, staring at me with serious expressions.  
"What? Oh great, it's you guys. Where have you been? I could use some help with surveillance here," I said, slightly annoyed with their flightiness.  
"We've been talking, and we think you're becoming obsessed with this. It's not healthy," she said to me.  
I was surprised. "Oh, really? You both think this?"  
Longshot silently placed a hand on Smellerbee's shoulder, indicating his agreement.  
Smellerbee sighed. "We came here to make a fresh start, but you won't let this go. Even though there's no real proof!"  
She gestured at the tea shop across the street.  
I couldn't believe this, betrayed by my own brothers. "Well, maybe if you'd help me…"  
"Detra, you've gotta stop this," Smellerbee snapped, narrowing her eyes.  
"Maybe you've forgotten why we need to start over. Maybe you've forgotten about how the Fire Nation left us all homeless? How they wiped out all the people we loved. If you don't want to help me, I'll get the evidence on my own."  
What was wrong with these two?  
Longshot and Smellerbee looked down guiltily and I stalked off towards the tea shop. Who needed them anyway?

Ren:

I watched as Uncle poured a cup of tea for the officer that had walked in earlier.  
"This is the best tea in the city!" the officer said.  
Uncle smiled kindly. "The secret ingredient is love."  
Uncle waved a hand through the steam coming from the teapot and walked towards the back of the shop where the owner and I were.  
Tea shop owner smiled at him eagerly as we refilled our trays. "I think you're due for a raise."  
Not a second later, Detra suddenly slammed the tea shop door open and stepped inside.  
Oh great.  
Detra fixed her eyes on me and I glared. "I'm tired of waiting. These two men are firebenders!"  
She pointed an accusing finger at Uncle and I, a crazed look in her emerald eyes. Detra unsheathed her hook swords and prepared to fight. Uncle and I quickly exchanged a look, unsure of what to do.  
Annoyed, I returned my gaze back to the girl. Everyone's attention was focused on her.  
"I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!" she shouted, sounding like an insane person.  
The officer gave her a weird look. "He works in a tea shop."  
Detra was growing more frustrated. "He's a firebender, I'm telling you!"  
"Drop your swords girl, nice and easy."  
The two officers sitting at one of tables stood up and prepared to take care of Detra.  
She ignored them and looked only to me, hate filling her features. I always knew she had been a psycho, she even rivaled Athera in some ways.  
"You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do," Detra snarled at me.  
She poised her hook swords and slowly walked towards Uncle and I. One of the officers prepared to draw the swords at his waist when I stepped in front of him and grabbed the hilt instead. I'd had enough of this.  
"You want a show? I'll give you a show," I growled.  
I unsheathed the officer's double broadswords and entered my fighting stance. I then pulled a table in front of me with my foot and kicked it at Detra. Detra sliced her hook swords into the table and jumped over it. As she landed, she swung both hook swords down at me. I deflected the attack and jumped backward on to another table. Detra swung one sword through the middle of the table, slicing it in half. I stepped to one half of the table and balanced on one foot. Detra followed up my attack by cutting through the legs on the half of the table I was standing on.  
I quickly hopped on to the other half that was still standing and landed in a crane stance. Detra knocked this half to the ground, but I jumped into the air and swung both broadswords at Detra's feet as I landed. Detra somersaulted away and landed in a crouching position before charging forward at me again. I swung both of my swords at Detra, both pairs of weapons clashing together.

Odette:

Several high class citizens were lined up at the palace gates and being admitted inside by a guard. He was checking out the invitation of one group before letting them pass. Elise and I were next in line and approached the guard confidentially.  
"Invitation please."  
"I think this will do." Elise held up the official seal of the Amberhood family to the guard.  
"No entry without an invitation. Step out of line please," he said.  
"Look, the Perellas' and the Balakrishnans' are waiting in there for us. I'm going to have to tell them who didn't let me in," she snapped, annoyed.  
The guard remained unyielding. "Step out of line please."  
The guard pointed his finger to the side and Elise and I walked off disappointedly. The sound of a carriage grabbed my attention and I looked up to see a high ranking government official step out of the carriage. Two guards bowed to him.  
I smiled as an idea came into my mind. Elise and I walked towards the official hurriedly.  
"Sir I'm sorry to bother you, but my cousin lost our invitations." I leaned towards him, whispering. "She's blind. Do you think you could help us? Our family's inside and I'm sure they're very worried."  
The man smiled and bowed his head. He had long black hair was braided into an elegant braid that fell down his back. His eyes were a dark green color and his face was middle aged and pale. "I am honored, please come with me."  
The man walked towards the guard at the entrance with Elise and I following closely. The guard bowed to him and the three of us headed into the palace. As we were walking in, Elise and I stuck our tongues out at the guard while his back was turned.  
"Nyah! Pssfft!" we both hissed  
Inside the palace, many guests were conversing around a long dining table with an assortment of foods placed upon it. At one end of the table was the Earth King's bear eating a steak, his drool dripping of his chin. He was dressing in a yellow shirt and a green hat. Seated to either side of him were two guests.  
"He's taking all the good stuff!" one of them whined.  
"Quiet, you don't know what I had to do to get seats this near the bear!" the other snapped.  
The bear swiped what remains of the steak into the first guest's face before pouncing onto the table and devouring a large plate of meat in front of him. He pulled his head away as the man, Elise, and I walked into the hall.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it? By the way, I'm Long-Fang. I'm a cultural minister to the king," the man said kindly.  
"I'm Maybella, and this is…Freeda." Elise frowned and tugged at a string hanging from my headdress, pulling my hair. "Ow!"  
Long-Fang ignored us. "Now where is your family? I'd love to meet them."  
I looked around uncertainly. "Um... I don't see 'em right now. But I'm sure we'll find them soon. Thanks for all your help."  
Elise and I walked away from Long-Fang. A moment later, he mysteriously appeared in front of us again, causing us to stumble back in surprise.  
"Don't worry, as your escort it would be dishonorable to abandon you ladies without finding your families first. We'll keep looking.  
Long-Fang turned around and began leading Elise and I away. I had a sickening feelings that this night was not going to go well.

Kole:

Alana and I stood outside of the palace. Two guards were stationed at the gates, making it impossible for us to sneak in. I peeked around the pedestal of a statue of a lion I was hiding behind, Alana around the other side.  
"Where are they?" I asked.  
Odette looked so beautiful tonight. I mean, she always looked beautiful but tonight…she looked different, more like the princess that she was meant to be instead of the hero that she was.  
Alana and I ducked back behind the pedestal. Fang was there with us.  
"Look, I came up with a backup plan," Alana said and picked Fang up by the armpits. "We dress Fang like a ghost, OK? He runs by the guards creating a distraction, then we blast a hole in the wall…"  
I stood up and peered over the pedestal.  
"Or, we could go in with these guys. Elise said we might pass as busboys," I said, giving her a sarcastic look at her ridiculous idea.  
I pointed over to a carriage parked in front of the gate. Alana peeked over the pedestal at a few busboys unloading supplies from the back of it and bringing them inside.  
"OK, but remember that Fang ghost plan. I think it's a winner."  
Alana and I sank back behind the pedestal.

Ren:

I burst through the door and tumbled into the street. Detra ran after me and did a few spins before striking at me with both swords. I managed to block the strike and both of us locked swords.  
Detra sneered at me, pressing her face close to mine. "You must be getting tired of using those swords. Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me."  
We both struggled to gain control and walked off to the side. Uncle was now standing in the doorway and watching, worried.  
"Please dear, you're confused. You don't know what you're doing!" he yelled at my attacker.  
I swung at Detra, but she caught my broad sword with the ends of her hook swords, spun around and deflected it to the side. I spun with it and tried to counter attack, but Detra hooked the ends of my swords together and began swinging them at me in large circular motions. I retreated back a few steps to avoid the bladed hilt.  
"Bet you wish I'd help you out with a little fire blast right now."  
As Detra swung at my feet, I stabbed one of my broad swords through the hilt, pinning it to the ground. Detra looked at it with annoyance before focusing back on me.  
"You're the one who needs help," I snapped back, furious.  
Both of us were down to one sword each. Detra let go of her pinned hook sword and retreated a step. She turned in a circle and tried to swipe at me, but I quickly advanced and swung my sword at Detra in a horizontal motion. Detra pulled her attack back just in time to bend backward and avoid my blade. My broad sword passed over Detra, cutting the wheat straw sticking out of her mouth in half.  
Detra regained balance and jumped backward on to the edge of a well. By now several people were in the street watching the fight.  
"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen," she screeched. She hooked her sword onto a wooden beam above the well and swung forward at me, attacking me with a flying kick.

Odette:

I watched in amusement as I spotted Kole and Alana, who were dressed as busboys and were serving guests. Kole was pouring a drink and Alana was serving food on a plate. Both of them stood back to back. Fang's tail was sticking out from under Kole's big serving hat.  
"Where are Elise and Odette?" I heard him ask.  
Alana waved her hand. "Forget about them, just keep an eye out for the King."  
Fang's tail raised up to Alana's face and began wagging back and forth.  
"I don't know what he looks like," Kole said.  
"You know, "royal", flowing robe, fancy jewelry." Alana grabbed Fang's tail forcibly, causing the hair on it to stand up on end.  
"That could be anyone," I said as I approached them, pointing out that everyone was dressed in royal clothing.  
Elise was now also standing right next to Kole.  
"Another crab puff please," she asked in a snooty voice.  
Kole turned to us with a big smile. "You found us."  
"I'd know your little footsteps anywhere," she replied and he frowned.  
Alana smiled and presented her tray to Elise, who grabbed a crab puff and began to nibble on it. Kole joined our group and blushed when he saw me.  
Alana glared at me sarcastically. "Thanks for letting us in."  
I winced. "Sorry, but the guy who escorted us in, won't let us out of his sight."  
Alana peered behind me, trying to spot the escort. "What guy?"  
I looked up and saw with surprise that Long-Fang was nowhere in sight…but Nyra was. Her normally cheerful demeanor was replaced with anxiety as she approached us.  
"What are you doing here? You have to leave immediately, or we'll all be in terrible trouble," she said and tried to push Alana out of the way, but she blocked her with her tray.  
"Not until we see the King."  
Nyra glared at her. "You don't understand. You must go."  
Nyra shoved Alana into me, causing me to spill the contents of the pitcher I was holding onto a guest.  
"Aarrhhh! Oh!" she screamed, sopping wet.  
"Sorry! No, don't shout," I said, wincing. I used my hands and foot to airbend a gust at the guest, my hat falling off. It dried her off, but also turned her hair, clothes and makeup into a mess.  
I smiled sheepishly.  
The guest was briefly shocked, but smiled in amazement. "The Avatar. Ooh, I didn't known the Avatar would be here."  
All the guests' attention were now focused on me. Nyra's large, happy smile quickly turned sour and was replaced by a frown and a look of pure dread. I looked around at the guests as Fang hid under the hat on the floor and slinked away. I blushed and waved at the crowd, laughing nervously. Alana leaned in towards me.  
Alana leaned over to whisper to me. "You keep their attention while I look for the King."  
I nodded and put on a big happy smile. "Watch this everybody!"  
I leapt out of my fancy clothes and on to the long dining table as Alana walked off into the crowd. I swung my arms over the guests' drinks, waterbending the liquid out of the cups. I then jumped onto a pitcher and balanced on top of it. I brought the liquid above my head and created a swirling multicolored ball. The crowd 'oohed' at the spectacle and the king's bear growled with delight at my antics.

Ren:

I growled as I swung my broadsword at Detra. She parried the attack and stepped to my side and the two of us ended up back to back. We attempted to strike at each other from behind, but neither of us could get past the other's defense. Two Dai Li were walking through the crowd and towards our swordfight.  
"Drop your weapons!" the agents snapped angrily.  
Detra and I stepped away and faced each other. I lowered my swords and Detra pointed at Uncle and I.  
"Arrest them. They're Firebenders," she snapped, breathing hard with rage.  
Uncle stepped forward. "This poor girl is confused. We're just simple refugees."  
The tea shop owner pointed at Detra. "This young woman wrecked my tea shop, and assaulted my employees."  
The officer we had served earlier seconded the statement. "It's true sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city."  
Uncle blushed. "Oh ho ho. That's very sweet."  
The two Dai Li walked up behind Detra, who looked at them angrily.  
"Come with us girl," one of the guards said.  
Detra swung her hook sword at the Dai Li guard, but he caught the sword with his hand covered in stones. The guard then disarmed Detra and both guards pulled the girl's arms behind her back, binding her wrists together using the stones on the palms of their gloves. They dragged Detra away toward a wagon designed for holding captured criminals.  
"Yoou don't understand! They're Fire Nation! You have to believe me!" Detra screamed, thrashing about madly, her crazed eyes fixed on me with a vengeance.  
Uncle and I watched as Detra was put into the wagon. The crowd began to disperse. On her knees, Detra looked up as the doors slammed shut. The people left in the street watched the wagon roll away. I turned and saw Longshot and Smellerbee looking on, hidden within the crowd, and silently walk out of sight.

Odette:

Two lines of guards walked into the hall. Eight of them were carrying a curtained platform. The Earth King sat quietly on the platform, noble and poised. He had a young, pointed face and narrow eyes. A pair of round spectacles rested on his nose, and he dressed in traditional Earth Kingdom colors and patterns.  
The crowd marveled in the presence of their host and ruler. Alana sneaked through the crowd and attempted to get a better view of the king. I focused on the line of guards as they placed the platform down and faced the guests. Alana looked over at me and pointed at the earth King.  
"Odette, the Earth King," she mouthed.  
Even though I had seen him, I was still entertaining the king's bear with some waterbending. Noticing that this was my opportunity, I bent an air scooter and whisked down the table.  
"Greetings your majesty," I said as I flew down the length of the table.  
Three guests pulled their food and drinks off the table before I could run over them with my air scooter. The platform was carried off while a line of guards walked up to the long dining table. I reached the other end of the dining table on my air scooter in no time, knocking over several dishes on my way. I dismounted the scooter and held my arms up in triumph. Long-Fang walked up to me from behind the line of guards and addressed me.  
"Avatar, it is a great honor to meet you. I am Long-Fang, Grand Secretary of Eralith and head of the Dai Li," he said and I gave him a strange look. Apparently he didn't recognize me from before. "I'd like to talk to you. Your friends will be waiting for us in the library."  
Long-Fang gestured for me to follow him and headed toward the library. I hesitated for a moment before hopping off the table and following.

Kole:

The library's large double doors closed shut. We all stood facing Long-Fang, who was sitting in front of a hearth that illuminated the area with a green flame.  
Alana was not happy, as usual. "Why won't you let us talk to the King? We have information that could defeat the Fire Nation!"  
Long-Fang looked at her coolly, his green eyes reflecting the emerald flames. "The Earth King has no time to get involved with political squabbles and the day to day minutia of military activities."  
Odette looked at him pleadingly. "This could be the most important thing he has ever heard."  
"What's most important to his royal majesty is maintaining the cultural heritage of Eralith. All his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. It's my job to oversea the rest of the city's resources, including the military."  
I gaped. "So the King is just a figurehead."  
Elise jumped up, furious. "He's your puppet!"  
Long-Fang laughed at her in amusement. "Oh, no, no! His majesty is an icon, a god to his people. He can't sully his hands with the hourly change of an endless war."  
"But we found out about a solar eclipse that will leave the Fire Nation defenseless. You could lead an invasion…"  
Long-Fang stood up suddenly, cutting Alana off. "Enough, I don't want to hear your ridiculous plan!"  
Alana started, a confused and hurt expression on her face.  
"It is the strict policy of Eralith that the war not be mentioned within the walls. Constant news of an escalating war will throw the citizens of Eralith into a state of panic. Our economy would be ruined. Our peaceful way of life, our traditions would disappear. In silencing talk of conflict, Eralith remains a peaceful, orderly utopia. The last one on Earth."  
Odette and the rest of us could only stare at Long-Fang with a mix of shock and horror at this revelation. It was a moment before anyone could speak.  
"You can't keep the truth from all these people. They have to know," I said angrily.  
Odette stepped forward and pointed a finger at Long-Fang.  
"I'll tell them. I'll make sure everyone knows!" she snapped defiantly.  
"Until now, you've been treated as our honored guest." He stepped forward and bent down to look Odette in the eye. Odette stared back at Long-Fang with loathing. "But from now on, you will be watched every moment by Dai Li agents. If you mention the war to anyone, you will be expelled from the city."  
He turned around and walked over to the hearth with the green fire. "I understand you've been looking for your dragon. It would be quite a shame if you were not able to complete your quest." Odette appeared frightened for a moment, but her expression changed to that of silent anger. "Now Nyra will show you home."  
Long-Fang sat back down as the library doors opened and Nyra walked in. Her hair was a different style than before and we all looked at her with surprise. This woman was not Nyra.  
"Come with me, please," she said, perfectly at ease.  
"What happened to Nyra?" I asked suspiciously.  
She was clearly not the same Nyra that showed Odette and us around Eralith.  
The woman in front of us smiled. "I'm Nyra. I'll be your host as long as you're in our wonderful city."  
Nyra 2 smiled cheerfully at us in the same artificial way as her predecessor.


	15. Chapter 15: The Tales of Eralith

Alana:

The morning started out like any other boring day in Eralith. After Long-Fang had threatened us, we'd decided it was better to lay low for the time being and search for Emrys in secret. Though I wanted to warn the Earth King more than anything, I couldn't risk Emrys safety. And if we were expunged from the city before we found her, there would be no hope of getting her back.  
While we waited for our request to be processed, we were taking mini vacations of sorts. While the early morning sun streamed in through the large panoramic windows of the house, Odette, Kole, and I all stood at the wall length mirror in the living room.  
Odette ran a brush through her long silky dark hair, making it fall in smooth chocolate locks down her back. She splashed water on her pretty face, making her skin look clear and fresh. Kole had a few hairs growing above his lip which he cut off with the end of my machete…gross. He then clicked his tongue and pointed at his reflection while I fixed together my hair loops. Once they were placed, I smiled and turned back tot eh rest of the room.  
Fang was off to the side on a stool, giving his self a bath like a cat. I walked back to a dark room where Elise, her hair a horrible mess, laid face-down on her bed, her blanket sloppily laying over her. A sliver of light cut through the darkness as I opened the room further. I entered fully and gasped at the sight.  
"Huh! Elise, aren't you gonna to get ready for the day?" I asked.  
Elise whipped her head up, causing her wild bed-head-hair to fly about. She quickly spat a large loogy into a nearby spittoon which spun upon impact. Slightly shocked, I turned back to her as she got to her feet and brushed a large amount of dust off her sleeping shirt.  
"I'm ready," she said tiredly.  
I blinked, again surprised. I mean I know I was all for women fighting in the field and everything, but come one. At least I did act like a girl for the most part! "You're not gonna wash up? You've got a little dirt on your... everywhere actually."  
"You call it dirt. I call it a healthy coating of earth."  
"Hmmm. You know what we need? A girl's day out!" I said, cringing at the very thought of it. But who else was going to do it? Kole would flip if I asked him and Odette was too busy looking for Emrys. Elise had never had a big sister, and I wanted her to have at least a little bit of fun before we headed off into war again.  
Elise groaned. "Do I have to?"  
Yes. If I could do it so could you.  
"It'll be fun."  
I got her at least semi decent and we left just as the sun was creeping over the tops of the buildings. We walked around for a bit until we came to the outside of a large building that was decorated with pictures of flowers and plants. Elise and I stood near the entrance as fancily dressed woman in beautiful robes walked out and smiled at each other.  
"The Fancy Lady Day Spa? Sounds like my kinda place," Elise said bitterly as I read the name.  
"Are you ready for some serious pampering?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful.  
"Sure Alana, whatever you say. As long as they don't touch my feet."  
We walked in, Elise with her head hung low. Inside it was cool and nice inside, smelling of nail polish and all kinds of other scents. I walked up to the front desk, paid for a whole day, and we were taken to a room where we were told to take our shoes off.  
I sat happily in a cushiony velvet blue chair, having my feet scrubbed and massaged. Elise was not as happy thought as the attendants, who had to hold the girl down, were hard at work trying to scrape the massive amounts of dirt off her feet.  
"Arrrr! Rrrrr! Errrr!"  
Suddenly, she struck out and hit one of the attendants square in the chest. An explosion of dust erupted the doorway as the frame was crumpled and the attendant flew out and hit the opposite wall. We were told to leave that room immediately.  
Next, Elise and I were each taking mud baths, with mud covering our faces in a mask, cucumber slices over our eyes, and our heads rapped in towels. An attendant with arms full of fresh towels walked over to Elise. I looked over at her as she breathed in then exhaled, apparently using some form of earthbending as the mud on her face began to move strangely, creating a scary appearance. The attendant, having seen this, screamed and ran off. Elise and I laughed, as the mud around Elise's mouth formed a large goofy smile.  
Next, we were taken to a sauna where a large pile of rocks took up the center of the fairly small room. Elise kicked the ground once, causing a rock from the cold pile to fly onto the pile of hot rocks. I used waterbending and splashed the hot rocks with some water, creating steam. We both sighed as the steam coated our skin, relaxing our muscles.  
After out time in the sauna was up, we go a quick made over and we were on our way, our day at the spa finally over and done with. I had to admit, the massages and stuff had been nice, but I could have done without the makeup. I had only gotten it because I knew Elise wouldn't have done it if I didn't too.  
We were walking down the streets of Eralith, chatting happily about the day. It was probably the nicest conversation I had ever had with the kid. The front of her hair, which usually hung to cover her forehead, was now combed back behind her ears and her face had lots of make-up on it.  
"Well, that wasn't so bad. I'm not usually into that stuff, but I actually feel... Girly," she said, surprised by this.  
I smiled, glad I had been able to please her. "I'm glad, it's about time we did something fun together."  
The two of us crossed a stone bridge over a creek. As we did, we passed three girls going the other direction. They wore fancy dresses and robes, one sporting a fashionable umbrella.  
"Wow, great makeup," one said in a snooty voice.  
Uh oh.  
Elise smiled. "Thanks."  
"For a clown!" the girl continued.  
Elise's face dropped into a frown as we stopped walking.  
I put my hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to them, let's just keep walking."  
"I think she looks cute. Like that time we put that sweater on your pet poodle monkey," another said.  
"Good one, Star!"  
"Let's go Elise," I urged, feeling my temper flare.  
"No, no. That was a good one! "Like your poodle-monkey"... Ha ha! You know what else is a good one?" Elise pounded the ground once, causing dust to rumble up as her earthbending shot across the bridge to where the girls stood. A hole opened up in the stone bridge where Elise's earthbending reached them and all three fell through into the creek.  
"Ahhh!"  
I smirked as I looked down at them. "Now that was funny."  
With one move of Elise's arm, she used the earth at the bottom of the river to caused a huge wave that swept the girls away and down stream as they screamed. Elise walked away from the bridge as I jogged to catch up.  
"Those girls don't know what they're talking about," I said reassuringly.  
"It's ok. One of the good things about being blind is I don't have to waste my time worrying about appearances. I don't care what I look like. I'm not looking for anyone's approval. I know who I am," she said, trying to hide her face as a tear trickled down it. We stopped walking, and I looked at her admiringly.  
"That's what I really admire about you, Elise. You're so strong and confident and self assured. And I know it doesn't matter, but... you're really pretty," I said.  
Elise smiled, wiping the tear away. "I am?"  
"Yeah. You are," I said.  
She smiled again and we began to start walking again.  
"I'd return the compliment, but I have no idea what you look like," she said and I laughed, grateful for the comment anyways.  
"Thank you, Alana." She punched me in the shoulder in a friendly way.  
"Ow!"

Ira:

I traveled through a lovely marketplace somewhere in Eralith with a golden sun beaming overhead. I walked pleasantly down the lane and stopped to examine a basket being sold by a merchant.  
The man smiled at me with a wink. "If this is for a romantic picnic, may I suggest this lavender one?"  
"No, it is not a romantic picnic, but it is a special occasion," I replied kindly and I handed the merchant a few coins and picked up the basket. I turned to leave the market stall when I spotted a closed flower in a vase. I slid the vase out of the sunlight and into the shade. "The moonflower likes partial shade."  
I bowed to the merchant and walked away, hoping he would have good luck with his sales today.  
I went to examine another merchant's stall which sold 'liuqins', which were a type of lute which was a stringed instrument. The sound of a crying child caught my attention and I turned around to see a boy sobbing in the middle of the street and his mother trying to console him.  
"Wahh!" he wailed and the pretty woman hugged him soothingly.  
"Shhh. It's ok. Shhh."  
I smiled and paid for the liuqin and started playing it as I approached them, singing a tune with a smile on my face. I may not have been very good but I would spread the gift of song for as long as I could. It was worth the mocking I got when I brought a smile to someone's face.  
I got down on one knee next to the boy as I sang, smiling at him softly.  
"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow.  
Like fragile, tiny shells,  
Drifting in the foam.  
Little soldier boy, come marching home.  
Brave soldier boy, comes marching home."  
The boy's frown instantly turned to a smile as he reached up and pulls my long beard.  
"Yeowch!" I gasped, but smiled and gently removed the boys hands away. He hadn't meant to cause any harm, and knowing that I made him feel better brought warmth to my old heart.  
The child laughed and tugged on my beard again. I smiles and petted my beard smooth, pulling it away from him gently. The boy's mother took her son by the hand and led him away as I stood and looked after them with a very pleasant look on my face.  
Later on in the day, I was walking though a courtyard, just passing by on my way to my next destination. Four boys were in the courtyard with a white ball playing a game. One of the boys hit the ground with his foot and the ball shots up and back down. He kicked it and then followed up with some earthbending. A patch of earth rose to create a path for the ball as it rolled along. Another player earthbended to impede the path of the ball before it reached the goal. This caused the ball to launch up and into the direction I was standing. I moved out of the way just in time, but the ball ripped through the window directly behind where I was. A crash and a loud voice could be herd from inside.  
"Hey!"  
I walked over to the boys as they gathered around me to listen to what he had to say.  
"It is usually best to admit mistakes when they occur, and to seek to restore honor-" I told the gently, looking up towards the window.  
Loud smashed were herd and all five of us looked up, startled. In the window was a very large body and head looking through the hole.  
"When I am through with you kids, the window won't be the only thing that's broken!" he screamed.  
"-but not this time. Run!" I said.  
The boys and I all ran in different directions. I ran down the marketplace street quickly and hid in an alley, placed the basket down, and looked around the corner to see if I was being chased.  
"You. Give me all your money!" a dark voice snapped from just behind me.  
I turned around to see a messy looking man with a dagger pointed directly at me, his legs bent at a very odd angle.  
Poor boy, I wonder what had happened to him to turn him into this. Only a desperate man seeks his own destruction. Perhaps I could help set him back on the right path.  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
"I'm mugging you!"  
"With that stance?"  
The mugger was confused. "Wha- What are you talking about? Just give me your money, old man!"  
"With a poor stance you are unbalanced, and you can be easily knocked over."  
In one swift move, I grabbed the arm of the mugger and disarmed him, while simultaneously proving my point by pushing my attacker and knocking him to the ground.  
"Ugh!" he cried as he hit the ground back first.  
I twirled the dagger in my hand then helped the man to his feet.  
"With a solid stance, you are a much more serious threat." I demonstrated a proper stance for the mugger. The mugger attempted to imitate my stance, but was still not assuming the correct form. I walked over to him and held my attacker's head still while I adjusted the man's stance by nudging his backside forward with my foot. After helping him assume the correct form, I was now pleased with the man's stance. "Much better! But to tell you the truth, you do not look like the criminal type."  
"I know. I'm... I'm just confused," he said sadly.  
Bingo.  
I sat down and set up the tea I was going to have latter. Oh well, this would go to a better use. I handed the mugger a cup and poured him some pre-made tea. He drank it all and then held the cup out to me, asking for more. I poured hot, steamy tea for the man as we continued talking as I finished setting things up. While I prepared the tea, we discussed his current situation and what it was he wanted to do with his life.  
"So you really think I could be a good masseur?" he finally asked after a few more cups.  
I nodded, smiling. "Of course!"  
"This is so great! No one has ever believed in me," he said, looking like he could cry.  
"While it is always best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing," I said. I looked up at the sky.  
The sun was starting to set. It was time for me to be on my way.  
"I'm sorry, I must be on my way now. Good luck out there, my friend," I said. I left him with the tea and picked up my basket and instrument. He waved goodbye until I disappeared around the corner.  
My usual happy mood diminished more and more though as I made my way to the final destination. I was walking up towards a beautiful tree on a hill within the city as the sun was setting behind the shining buildings.  
Leaves gently fell from the tree as I approached the trunk and looked out over the city. I placed the basket down and removed my hat. I then rested on my knees and piled some rocks at the tree's base. Searching though my basket, I removed several things and placed them at the bottom of the tree. I pulled out a sheet of paper and looked at it for a few seconds, closing my eyes and bowing my head, grief almost overwhelming me, before placing it down as well. Finally I pulled two joss sticks, which were sticks of incense that burned, and lit them with my fingers by clicking the tips and placed them down as well.  
I sat back and looked at the small memorial I had made for my dearly loved, passed son, Lucius. The memorial was little more then the burning joss sticks, a few apples, and most importantly, a sketched picture of Lucius sitting against the rocks. He was quite handsome and had the same hair features that I once did. His mother, also passed, would have been proud of him.  
"Happy Birthday my son," I whispered as tears began to pool in my eyes. It had been my fault that Lucius had been killed. I had pushed to keep on invading Eralith when we all knew it was a loosing battle. My poor son had just been caught in the crossfire of my terrible mistake, one that I would forever regret.  
"If only I could have helped you. I will see you again my son."  
I began to sing my song from earlier, the one I used to sing every night to Lucius when he was young to help him fall asleep. Only this time I had difficulty keeping my voice from cracking under my crippling grief.  
"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow.  
Like fragile, tiny shells,  
Drifting in the foam.  
Little soldier boy, come marching home.  
Brave soldier boy, comes marching home…"

Odette:

I soared down over the city on my glider, once again on the hunt for Emrys. I spotted a mostly deserted street, save for one man walking alone.  
I landed on it, twirling my glider back into a staff and walked down the street, which was lined on both sides with various cages and pens built into the rock. I passed each pen and looked in to see different creatures looking sad and depressed, my expression and feelings matching theirs. How could anyone treat poor, innocent creatures like this?  
I stopped and looked up into a cage where a group of bisonflies flew, which looked like very small bison with small wings like an insect's. I then went over to another cage and looked down into a pen, which was a pit, to see another baboon-like creature lying on the ground, apparently very bored. Then there was an armadillo lion gnawing at the bars that kept him in. It looked up as I approached.  
I kneeled down and held my hand out. "Hey there, fella. You look hungry." The creature roared loudly causing me to jump back in surprise. "Ahh!"  
The armadillo lion curled up into a ball and rolled away in its pen as the zookeeper walked behind me, sweeping.  
"Hm! They are hungry," he said as the zookeeper and I walked together through the zoo. "The Dai Li won't give me any money because the kids stopped coming. And the kids won't come because my zoo's nasty and broke."  
I looked sadly into a cage. "What kind of animal is that?"  
"Oh, that's rabbiroo. I wish I could get her a big open prairie like she likes. I'd let her hop her way to happiness."  
I looked at her for a moment and turned to him, smiling. "Let's do it!"  
"Say again?" the zookeeper asked me in surprise.  
"There's a big open space right outside the walls of the city."  
he thought for a moment. "But how are you gonna transport all these wild critters?"  
"Don't worry. I'm great with animals," I assured grinning.  
Or not.  
As soon as I got the cages open, with the help of some air bending, the animals went berserk. Monkey-like creatures wreaked havoc in one of the shops in the city, throwing pottery and breaking things. The owner came in swinging a broom in an attempt to save his shop and managed to send one of them flying. The creatures fled the shop and into the street just as an elephant mandrill came stampeding down it while people ran for their lives. Another group of people came running out of an ally covering their heads to escape the bisonflies that flew over them. A platypus bear entered the street and stood on its legs, swinging and growling as more people screamed and ran away. It pursued a group down an ally and the armadillo lion came rolling in and ran off in another direction. The rabbiroo was devouring cabbages from a pile, assaulting none other than the Cabbage Merchant's cart who was desperately trying to save his beloved cabbages.  
"MY CABB-" The rabbiroo looked up at him with a cabbage in its mouth. It chewed it a bit and returned to the cart. "-oh, forget it!"  
Several people in the same street were covering their heads as bisonflies hovered over them. I descended into the street and used my staff to shoo the creatures away with airbending. I used a large blast of air to knock all of them out of the street.  
"This was so much easier in my head!" I snapped, rubbing the back of my head.  
Getting an idea, I snapped my finger and reached into my shirt to pull out my dragon whistle. I flipped the whistle into the air and, using airbending, inhaled a great amount of air. Then, catching the whistle, I blew into it with huge force. The whistle squealed louder and higher than usual, hopefully reaching all the animals throughout the city. As animals started to charge towards me, I rode my air scooter down a street blowing the dragon whistle. I fly by on the main street, I passed and ally and a large stampede of creatures followed me, with a very slow turtle seal bringing up the rear. As I neared the outer gates, I spotted the zookeeper talking with two guards at the wall.  
"But you have to open this gate!"  
"Or what?"  
The zookeeper pointed behind himself. "Or that!"  
He jabbed his finger at me as I quickly approached on my air scooter, still blowing the whistle, with a huge number of animals chasing me.  
"Open the gate!" the guard screamed and ran out of the way hurriedly.  
The massive wall of Eralith opened enough to allow me through. As I reached the opening, I stopped blowing the whistle and jumped off my scooter and onto my glider. The creatures plowed through the opening as I soared up and over the wall. On the other side, the creatures were coming out of the opening and starting to spread out as they ran in all directions.  
I soared down behind the running animals and onto my air scooter again. As I rode, I punched the ground, causing a large wall of earth to rise as I rode in a large circle, creating a pen to block the fleeing animals. Once I finished, I jumped off my scooter and landed in the center of the pen I just made. I earthbended again, causing a square portion of the ground to descend and create a small pit. I turned around and brought my arms up high to cause a large pillar of earth to rise, then turned and punched outward, making more walls to separate the animals.  
After I had finished, the once plain ground had been transformed into a large area of rock walls and pens all situated like a zoo made from my earthbending. The guards and the zookeeper entered, all looking amazed at what I had just done. A group of kids, all laughing and smiling, pushed past them and ran in.  
People came after them and moved around the newly formed pens and examined the animals. The was rabbiroo drinking from a pond then looked up at one of the guests as three infant rabbiroo poked up from its pouch.  
I turned and spoke with the zookeeper beside one of the pens.  
"Well, Mr. Zookeeper, how do you like your new facilities?" I asked.  
He nodded his assent, still amazed. "Excellent job, Avatar. You should think about working with animals for a living."  
I looked behind him as a guest's voice caught my ear.  
A child visitor was pointing into one of the pens. "Mommy, Ms. Snowflake got out of the house again."  
An adult visitor cocked her head to the side as she looked at a hissing cat. "Fluffykins, what are you doing down there?"  
The cat was hissing at the elephant mandrill it was sharing a pen with.  
"On second thought, you should probably stick to saving people," he said, smiling in amusement.  
I laughed nervously with a small smile.

Kole:

I walked down a candle-lit street at night.  
I walked past a building and into the ally beside it. In the ally, a man struggled with his ostrich horse. I passed them, and by the windows of the building, as I heard voices from inside. Intrigued, I turned and stuck my head inside the window.  
"What's this?"  
The room looked like a classroom of sorts with a stage. The girls that occupied the class all wore beautiful dresses and head pieces. There was a student on stage reading her writings to the class.  
"Through all the long night, winter moon glows with bright love, sleet her silver tears…"  
My head rested on my hands as I looked on, pleased. "Ahh, poetry."  
The ostrich horse, who was still struggling with my handler, kicked backward and hit me right in the behind, sending me flying through the window and into the class.  
"Oooh," the students gasped, startled.  
The girls all gasped in shock as I hung from the window, part of the frame around my chest. I started to apologize and I pulled myself into the room and fell onto the stage.  
"I am so sorry. Something struck me in the rear. I just... wound up... Here?"  
The students laughed and clapped.  
I grinned as I stood in front of the class. The woman on the far right of the group of girls stood up, applauding softly but looking stern.  
"Five seven then five, syllables mark a Haiku," she said bowing her head to me. "Remarkable oaf."  
I looked at her, annoyed, then pondered this for a second.  
"They call me Kole, that is in the Water Tribe." I counted the next five syllables on my fingers as I said them. "I am not an oaf."  
The girls laughed but the woman still looked stern and did not applaud this time.  
"Chittering monkey, in the spring I climbs treetops, and thinks himself tall."  
"Ooooh," the students said.  
"You think you're so smart, with your fancy little words, this is not so hard."  
"Ooooh!" the girls said, even louder this time, whispering in delight.  
The woman walked up to me on stage. "Whole seasons are spent mastering the form, the style, none calls it easy!"  
"I calls it easy! Like I paddle my canoe," I turned around and paddled my behind once. "I'll paddle yours too!"  
the students laughed.  
"There's nuts and there's fruits," the woman said and pulled a plumb from her sleeve and dropped it to the ground. "In fall the clinging plumb drops, always to be squashed."  
She stepped on the plumb, squashing it.  
I made different arm motions and tried to think like Alana. She was better at this witty stuff than I was. "Squish-squash, sling that slang. I'm always right back at ya, like my...boomerang!"  
The girls laughed again as the woman looked annoyed but walked off stage and back to her seat as I turned to the class again and raised my arms up to silence the laughter.  
"That's right I'm Kole, it's pronounced with an "ole", young ladies, I ruled ya!  
This time my words were met with total silence as I stared over the class who looked annoyed at me. I began to count my fingers, attempting to figure out if I had too many syllables. Sure enough, I realized my final line contained six syllables instead of five. A large man approached me and grabbed me up by the collar.  
"Uh, that's one too many syllables there, bub," he growled.  
Picking me completely up, he threw me head first across the room and out the door. Outside, I hit the ground with a thud and sat up, holding my head.  
"...poetry."

Ren:

I looked around Nicholas's teashop boredly, the place where Uncle and I both worked under the guise of Lee and Mushi respectively. Inside, I walked down the shop with a tray of cups and looking suspiciously over my shoulder once. I walked up behind my uncle who was on a ladder, stacking things on a shelf behind the counter.  
"Uncle, we have a problem," I whispered as he descended the ladder. "One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation."  
I looked back over at the very attractive girl with dark brown hair and eyes sitting in the corner of the shop sipping tea. I forced Uncle to turn around as I had turned to look. Uncle sported a grin on his face.  
"Didn't I say don't look!" I hissed. What was the matter with him?  
"You're right I. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you," he said, barely able to keep himself from laughing.  
I reeled back in surprise. "What?!"  
From behind both of us suddenly, her voice spoke, causing us to part.  
"Thank you for the tea," she said sweetly and handed me a few coins. I took them and turned away from her. "What's your name?"  
I turned back to her. "My name's Lee. My Uncle and I just moved here."  
"Hi Lee, my name is Lisa. Thank you and, well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime?" she asked hopefully blushing…the same way Odette would have.  
Stop! There I went again, thinking about that stupid girl in ways that I should not have been thinking about her. Well, here was a girl - albeit not as beautiful as Odette was, but good enough - who could provide the perfect distraction for me. I had to get the Avatar out of my head or else I would never be able to capture her had return home. But still…I really didn't want to. Maybe there was another way…  
I was so stunned, before I could respond, Uncle jumped in.  
"He'd love to!" he said, smiling goofily.  
I hate you sometimes, I thought bitterly.  
Lisa was thrilled. "Great! I will meet you in front of the shop at sundown."  
Lisa walked away, leaving me standing bewildered as my uncle threw an arm around my shoulders with a large, goofy grin on his face again.  
That night, I opened the shop door and stepped out into the street. I was wearing a very "handsome" green outfit, a contrast to my typical brown every-day clothing. Though the most startling and humorous change in my appearance was that my hair, which was usually shaggy and unkempt, had been combed and parted. I walked out into the middle of the street and looked around as Lisa emerged from around the side of the shop and approached me.  
"Hey. Well, look at you," she said, her brown eyes amused. She reached up and messed my hair so it looked normal again. "You look so cute!"  
"It took my Uncle ten minutes to do my hair," I said, slightly annoyed. Ten, torturous minutes. If it had been Odette…  
Lisa grabbed me by the arm and led him off as I wistfully glanced once back at the teashop. She took me to what appeared to be a town square of sorts where several people stood around doing various activities. She led me over to the exterior of a patio restaurant. We were seated quickly, ordered, and got our good back almost as quickly.  
We lingered over the meal, making idle chit chat as we did so. When we were about done, Lisa sipped on tea while I poked at my last meatball with my chop sticks, not looking at my date.  
"So, how do you like the city so far?" she asked me. She had kept up a non-stop string of questions to keep me talking all night and I was starting to get annoyed with it.  
"It's ok."  
Lisa frowned slightly but perked right back up. "What do you like to do for fun?"  
"Nothing."  
A waiter walked over to address me just then. "Excuse me sir. Would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?"  
I bristled at the word "girlfriend".  
"She is not my girlfriend!" I shouted and pounded the table with my fist.  
The restaurant went quiet as everyone glanced over at me. The waiter walked away and I laced my fingers and looked around at Lisa who seemed to have not taken any kind of offense or, indeed, any form of notice to my outburst and was devouring noodles from a bowl at an alarming rate. I blinked once before speaking again to her.  
"You have... quite an appetite for a girl," I said, trying to find something to say. I twiddled my thumbs as I looked down awkwardly.  
"Um, thanks…So, Lee, where were you and your Uncle living before you came here?" she asked.  
"Um, well, we've been traveling around for a long time," I hedged.  
"Oh! Why were you traveling so much?"  
"We were uh, apart of this traveling circus," I lied.  
Lisa was intrigued. "Really? What did you do? Wait, lemme guess, you juggled!"  
With my arms folded, I paused for a moment before responding. "Yes. I juggled."  
What!?  
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle. Can you show me something?" she asked and held out an assortment of objects apparently from the table that I took in my arms.  
Boy, was I an idiot for even thinking I could do this.  
I threw each one up in the air, one after the other, and then prepared to catch them. I succeed in catching none of them and one managed to fall onto my head and break into many pieces. Lisa didn't laugh, but smiled gently.  
"Whoah! I haven't practiced for awhile," I said lamely as I wiped the shards of pottery from my hair.  
Lisa smiled again. "It's alright. Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city."  
I paid for our meal and then she took me to a street somewhere in the city that was lit only by the light of the full moon and was deserted save for Lisa and I. She hurried down the street, pulling me along by my hand.  
"I'm so excited for you to see the firelight fountain. The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way."  
She led me into an open area with a large fountain and several posts with candles on top surrounding it in a circle; however, to spite its apparent name, it was dark and the candles unlit.  
Lisa was shocked. "I can't believe it! They aren't lit."  
I looked at her disappointed face for a moment, then at the candles. Ugh, this was really stupid, but her being all sad and stuff made me uncomfortable.  
"Close your eyes and don't peek," I said, trying to keep an even tone.  
I walked out into the circle of candles, held my hands together, and closed my eyes as I prepared. When I was ready, my eyes opened and I began to firebend. Using my pointer and middle fingers on each hand, I shot small bursts of flame in all directions at the candles to light them. Once finished, I stood straight and looked at Lisa, still with her eyes closed.  
"Ok. Now you can look."  
"Oh wow…" she said in amazement, looking at the whole area lit by the candles. Lisa walked to me, looking around in awe. "What happened? How did they light? What did you...?"  
I simply smiled at her and we both turned to look at the fountain. As I examined my work, Lisa brushed her hand through her hair and smiled at me, though I pretended I didn't see it. She reached over and grabbed my hand to hold it. Having attracted my attention, I turned to look at the girl smiling at me. Her hand it mine, it felt so….so wrong. I didn't like it and I felt the urge to pull away from her and run. I knew my ridiculous reaction was only because it wasn't the right pair of slender, delicate hands.  
We both turned to be face to face and as Lisa began to lean in for a kiss, I panicked and quickly drew a piece of paper which I held between our lips.  
"I brought you something. It's a coupon for a free cup of tea," I said.  
Lisa took the coupon. "Lee, this is so sweet."  
I took a few steps away from her. "Don't thank me. It was my Uncle's idea. I thinks you're our most valuable customer."  
"Your Uncle is a good teacher. I have something for you too." She walked back to me and placed her soft hand on my cheek. "Now it's your turn to close your eyes."  
There was no avoiding it…I might as well just get it over with.  
I did so and Lisa made her move. She delivered a short kiss and pulled back slightly. Thinking of Odette…imagining what it would be like to be kissing her instead of this insignificant girl…my lips moved to hers to return the kiss.  
I realized what I was doing, who I was kissing, and jumped back away from her.  
'Odette,' I thought before I could stop myself.  
There was no point in trying to use this girl to get over her. I was being stupid, blinded by Odette's beautiful looks. I didn't really love her personality…did I? impossible, she was the reason why I was banished. I should hate her, loath her, want her six feet under…but I couldn't bring myself to feel that. Every time I thought about someone else getting her, hurting her, I was filled with a white hot rage that surprised even me sometimes.  
I stood for a second, looking at Lisa, then turned my back and began to walk away.  
"What's wrong?" she asked, hurt.  
"It's complicated. I have to go."  
I ran from the fountain, leaving a confused Lisa standing alone.  
Back at home, Uncle was leaning out of the window of our apartment, looking up and down the street, apparently waiting on my return. Behind him, I opened the door and entered without saying anything.  
"How was your night, Prince Ren?"  
Furious with my own stupid feelings, I walked across the floor and into my room and slammed the doors behind me without a word. For a moment, I stood in the dark, seething. After I cooled down a bit, I sighed and cracked my door open and peered out slightly through the crack, not looking at him.  
"It was nice," I said quietly and closed the door again.  
Lord, someone please help me...


	16. Chapter 16: Lake Laogai

Odette:

Kole and I rushed in through the open front door and were met with quite the sight.  
Inside the house we were using in Eralith, the floor was littered with childishly drawn pictures of Emrys. Alana was lying on her stomach, working intently on yet another sketch. Elise was reclining on the floor nearby, while Fang licked his foot.  
"We found a printer to make our posters," Kole said after a moment and held up a poster with an expert rendition of Emrys; a picture of her and dense script.  
I smiled and pointed to it happily.  
"Hey, I thought designing "the lost Emrys poster" was my job. I've been working all day on my Emrys," Alana complained and held up a crude drawing with a proud smile.  
"Alana, the horns are on Emrys's head," I said, perplexed while Kole struggled to contain his laughter.  
Alana pointed to the sketch. "This IS her head."  
Kole took it to study up close. "Why are feet coming out of it?"  
Alana snatched the sketch back indignantly and hung her head. "Those are my horns! I haven't seen her awhile ok?!"  
"It looks just like her to me," Elise piped up ironically.  
Alana was flattered.  
"Thank you, I worked really…" She paused as realization set in. "Why do you feel the need to do that?"  
Kole laughed. "Let's just stick with the professional version."  
"Grrrr!" She snarled and violently ripped the drawing to tiny shreds.  
"Come on, let's get busy!" I said enthusiastically and held up two stacks of leaflets.  
While the others spread out below, I took off soaring at rooftop level over Eralith, dropping a stream of leaflets behind me into the city streets.

Ren:

Inside the tiny teashop where we had been working, Uncle was pouring tea for a wealthily dressed man and his bodyguards. As Uncle walked away, they sipped the tea and smiled, then rose to approach him. I listened in on their conversation boredly as I continued working.  
"So you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you," the man said and held up the teacup in a hand glittering with jeweled rings. "I hope Nicholas pays you well."  
Uncle smiled. "Good tea is its own reward."  
"But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?" the wealthy man asked.  
Uncle was stunned. "My own tea shop? This is a dream come true."  
I smiled slightly, happy for him.  
Nicholas scampered out to join the conversation. "What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea maker?"  
He threw his self protectively between Uncle and the rich man.  
"Sorry Nicholas, that's business for you, am I right?" the man laughed.  
Nicholas became increasingly desperate. "Mushie, if you stay, I will make you Assistant Manager. Wait, Senior Assistant manager."  
"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the upper ring. The Tea shop is yours to do whatever you want," the rich man said and I glanced over from busing a table. "Complete creative freedom."  
Uncle was elated. "I even get to name the shop?"  
"Of course!"  
Nicholas became pleading. "Uh, Senior Executive Assistant Manager?"  
Uncle set the teapot into the hands of shop owner Nicholas, who grimaced in pain. Nicholas walked off as Uncle and the rich man exchanged respectful bows.  
Great. Just another reason for me to stay stuck here for the rest of my life. He was putting down roots, which I'd clearly told him not to do. I had to find Odette and bring her to my father, I had to go home.  
I crossed them, pausing as Uncle spoke to me.  
"Did you hear nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city," Uncle said excitedly.  
The rich man smiled widely. "That's right young man. Your life is about to change for the better."  
I continued to walk away towards the front door, setting down the tray of cups, barely containing my anger.  
"I'll try to contain my joy," I said gravely and stepped outside.  
Closing the door behind me, I stepped out to lean against the front of the teashop. Something flittered down out the corner of my eye and I looked up. Leaflets were fluttering down out of the sky. I reached out and caught one out of the air and read it. Realizing the import of it with a flash of excitement, I began scanning the sky for the source of the paper. I climbed to the roof of the shop just as another scattering of them settled to the street. Looking at the leaflet once more, my face became set with determination.  
My uncle could stay and make as many roots here as he wanted, but I was out of here.

Odette:

Back at the house, Fang and I burst through the door after we finished with the leaflets. Kole and Alana were playing a card game on a wooden table. Elise lied on her back nearby, bouncing a small ball off of a wall.  
"I just finished dropping all the leaflets. Has anyone come in with news about Emrys?" I asked as I approached the table, tossing my bag over my head and off to the side.  
Kole studied his cards. "It's only been a day, just be patient."  
I settled to rest my chin on the table dejectedly. A moment later there was a rapping on the front door.  
I popped up eagerly. "Wow, you're right! Patience really pays off."  
I rushed to open the door and gasped when I saw who it was. "Nyra?!"  
Nyra spoke with her usual, eerie grin and careful speech. "Hello, Odette and Kole and Alana and Elise."  
The other three gathered around me to talk to her.  
"What happened to you? Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?" Alana asked.  
"What, jail? Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage," she replied dismissively.  
"But you disappeared at the Earth King's party," Elise said.  
"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country. It was quite relaxing."  
Alana's face showed clear suspicion.  
"But then they replaced you with some other woman who also said her name was Nyra," Kole said, also suspicious.  
"I'm Nyra."  
"Why are you here?" I asked her, tired of beating around the bush.  
Nyra pulled out a leaflet. "Dropping flyers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without proper clearance."  
Alana glared at her, annoyed. "We can't wait around to get permission for everything."  
"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters," she said, grinning cheerfully.  
Red faced and steaming with frustration, I started shouting at her furiously.  
"WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES, AND WE'RE NOT ASKING PERMISSON!" I flailed my arms in outrage, starting to back up an alarmed Nyra out the front door. "We're finding Emrys on our own and you should just stay out of our way!"  
I slammed door shut so hard, the entire house vibrated.  
"That might come back to bite us in the blubber," Alana said thoughtfully.  
I glared at the door. "I don't care. From now on we do whatever it takes to find Emrys."  
Elise raised her arms in the air. "YEAH! Let's break some rules!"  
Elise turned and blasted out the nearest wall with earthbending.  
As the dust cleared from the destroyed wall, we left out the front door.

Long-Fang:

In the Dai Li headquarters, I sat in my private audience chamber on a small chair, while Nyra kneeled before me.  
"I am very disappointed in your work with the Avatar and my friends, Nyra. I had hoped that you would be able to control this situation," I told her calmly.  
"I'm so sorry, but they don't trust me anymore. I don't think I can keep working like this," she said in distress, covering her mouth, terribly upset.  
Weak. Disgusting. Pathetic. I would kill her, but unfortunately I needed her for the time being.  
"Nyra, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." She looked up, and her pupils dilated.  
Good.  
"I am honored to accept my invitation," she replied calmly, hypnotized.  
I nodded, smirking nastily. "Good. Now go await further orders."  
She rose and exited past two Dai Li.  
I rose and started pacing. "If the Avatar keeps searching for my dragon, it could upset the delicate balance we worked so hard to achieve in this city. It could even cost us control of the Earth King." I stopped to gaze into the green flames of the fireplace.  
"Should we take care of her?" the agent asked, all too eager.  
I picked up a cross containing information about the girl and I held it for a moment, gazing into the fire thoughtfully. "No. It's much too dangerous to confront me directly. Let's see if we can still handle this... Quietly."

Ren:

I slammed the door open to the cramped apartment complex where Uncle and I lived. Inside, Uncle was packing up everything we owned - which wasn't much - into a chest.  
"So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How ;bout the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it," he said.  
I ignored him and held out the leaflet. "The Avatar's here in Eralith. And she's lost her dragon."  
Uncle took the leaflet. "  
"We have a chance for a new life here," he said as I walked to stare out a window. "If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."  
I spun around to face Uncle, irate. "Good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"  
"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want for your life, and why," he replied earnestly.  
I wanted Odette, in ways that I shouldn't want her. In ways that I could never have her. The only thing I could get from her was my freedom back.  
I turned to look outside again. "I want my destiny."  
"What that means is up to you." I walked away from the window, furious.  
"The Tea Weevil!" Uncle said as I left then shook his head in disgust. "No, that's stupid."  
It's not the only thing that's stupid around here.

Kole:

Alana brushed paste onto a stone wall, and plastered up an Emrys Poster. In a narrow alley, Odette and I were pasting more of them up. Elise leaned against the wall with arms crossed, near Alana. Fang perched above our heads.  
"Well split up to cover more area. Elise, I guess you should just come with me," my sister said after she finished.  
"Why because you think I can't put up posters on my own?" the little girl snapped peevishly. She grabbed Alana's brush, slashed glue across the wall, then slammed a poster against it, face down.  
"It's upside-down isn't it? I'll just go with Alana," she said dolefully and handed her back the brush, and we all split up.  
I took off to an open square, where I affixed another poster to a stone plinth near a flowing water stream. Behind me, a familiar voice called out.  
"Kole?"  
I'd know that backstabbing voice anywhere…  
I wheeled around with a startled gasp as none other than Detra emerged from an alleyway at the edge of the square, striding towards me. She was just as beautiful as I remembered. Long red hair, emerald green eyes, pale white skin. She was probably just as crazy as before as well.  
She smiled her charming smile confidently. "I think I can help you."  
My shocked transformed into a look of pure outrage. With a sweep of my arms I bended up a pair of towering waves from the stream behind me, sending them crashing towards her.  
"Kole! I've changed!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.  
Detra was overwhelmed by the tremendous cascade, and was swept backwards into the alleyway. Sliding into view, I drew a puddle up into a spinning sphere, ready to attack.  
"Tell it to some other guy, Detra!"  
Freezing the globe of water, I unleashed a barrage of ice spikes down the alley toward her. Whirling off-balance, Detra nonetheless managed to cut them out of the out of the air.  
"I don't want to fight you! I'm here to help," she said.  
Holding out her hook-swords, she dropped them to the ground as I drew closer. I stopped, not sure what to think. I reached behind my back for something, and I pinned her with a flurry of ice blades. Alana, Elise and Odette cam rushing up behind me.  
"Kole, what is it?" Alana asked worriedly.  
"Detra's back. We can't trust anything she says," I said resolutely.  
Alana frowned at me and looked between the two of us as I glared furiously at the girl. "But we don't even know why she's here."  
"I don't care why she's here. Whatever the reason is, it can't be good," I snapped, hostile.  
Detra sighed. "I'm here to help you find Emrys."  
Still pinned to the wall, Detra opened her hand to let a leaflet unroll.  
Odette turned from the leaflet back to me. "Kole, we have to give her a chance."  
Detra nodded her head earnestly. "I swear, I've changed. I was a troubled person, and I let my anger get out of control. But I don't even have the gang now. I've put all that behind me."  
"You're lying!" I growled bitterly.  
Elise pushed past me, and placed her palm on the wall close to Detra. "She's not lying."  
"How can you tell?" Alana asked, surprised.  
"I can feel her breathing and heart beat. When people lie, there is a physical reaction. She's telling the truth." Elise, Odette and Alana turned to me.  
"Kole, we don't have any leads. If Detra says she can take us to Emrys, we have to check it out," Odette said beseechingly.  
Ugh…could I deny her nothing?  
My shoulders sagged in resignation.  
"Alright…" My rage flared up again and I suddenly stabbed a finger at Detra. "But we're not letting you out of out sight!"  
I stabbed my finger at her once more for emphasis, eyes narrowed.

Odette:

Well this was…awkward.  
Detra entered a dimly lit warehouse, which sat empty except for a few sacks and a pile of canvas and rope, us following closely behind.  
"This is the place I heard about," she said as everyone began looking around.  
"There's nothing here," I pointed out, looking at the empty place.  
"If this is a trap...!" Kole hissed angrily and he readied an attack.  
Detra glared at him. "I told you, I work nearby! Two guys were talking about some giant scaly creature they had. I figured it must be Emrys."  
"She was here!" Elise said.  
I looked over and saw that Elise had discovered a handful of blue feathers, and we rushed to her side.  
I stroked the clump of fur sadly. "We missed her."  
An old white haired man with a push-broom crossed behind my slumping form.  
"They took that big thing yesterday," he said and I straightened with a shocked look. "Shipped me out to some island. About time, I've been cleaning up fur and various, uh leavings all day."  
He began walking off again.  
I frantically caught up with him. "What island?! Where's Emrys?!"  
The janitor looked at me wearily. "Foreman said some rich royal type on Whaletail Island bought her up, guess for a zoo or such, though could be the meat would be good."  
"We've gotta get to Whaletail Island," I said, anxiously turning to the others, where Alana was reading a map. "Where's Whaletail Island?"  
"Far. Very far," she said glumly and laid the map of the world on the floor, pointing. "Here it is. It's near the South Pole, almost all the way back home."  
Everyone kneeled around the map and I felt my heart drop in despair.  
Kole sighed. "Odette, It'll take us weeks just to get to the tip of the Earth Kingdom. And then we'll need to find a boat to get to the island."  
I stood. "I don't care. We have a chance to find Emrys. We have to try."  
The janitor passed by again. "Must be nice to visit an island. I haven't had a vacation for years."  
Kole looked at him crossly. "Don't you have some more hair to clean up?"  
"Shuffle on, I get ya. No more need for 'old sweepy,'" he replied dismally.  
"You're right Odette," Kole said and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Right now, our first concern has to be finding Emrys. We can come back when we have me."  
Alana set off. "All right, let's get moving."  
Detra stepped towards us. "I'll come with you."  
Kole glared at her firmly. "We don't need you help."  
"Why won't you trust me?" she sighed and walked after Alana and I.  
Kole crossed his arms in annoyance. "Gee, I wonder?"  
Elise stood beside him, looking between the two. "Was this girl your girlfriend or something?"  
"What? No!" Kole gasped, startled, and turned his head the other direction.  
"I can tell you're lyyyyying," Elise said teasingly.  
Kole stomped off, blushing.

Kole:

Detra walked beside the four of us, glancing at me from time to time as we walked.  
"We can take the train out to the wall, but then we'll have to walk," Alana said.  
"Don't worry, on the way back, we'll be flying!" Odette replied cheerfully.  
"We're finally leaving Eralith," Elise said with exaggerated relief and threw her arms wide. "Worst city ever!"  
As Elise started to catch up with us, once again, a familiar voice stopped us all in our tracks.  
"Detra!"  
I turned in surprise to see Smellerbee and Longshot as Detra continued walking indifferently. I looked to Detra angrily.  
"I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore?" I snapped accusingly.  
Little lying, no good, backstabbing-  
Detra turned with a bewildered look. "I don't."  
Smellerbee threw herself against Detra, wrapping her arms around her with a look of utter relief. "We were so worried. How did you get away from the Dai Li?"  
"The Dai Li?!" I repeated, aghast.  
"I don't know what she's talking about?" Detra snapped as everyone stopped and drew closer to her and Smellerbee.  
Smellerbee turned to us. "She got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago. We saw them drag her away."  
Detra was baffled. "Why would I be arrested? I've been living peacefully in the city."  
Elise kneeled down, with a palm on the street between them. "This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth."  
"That's impossible," I said.  
Alana looked at them thoughtfully.  
"No, it's not. Elise can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth. Detra's been brainwashed," she said and pointed her finger at Detra accusingly.  
"That's crazy! It can't be," she said, distressed and started looking around in a panic. "Stay away from me."  
Everyone encircled Detra and began to close in around her.

Ren:

I traveled under the night sky, lit by a full moon. A lone Dai Li agent walked down the street past the entrance to an alley. I charging up the street behind him, wearing my Blue Spirit outfit, something I hadn't put on in a long while.  
"Out of my way, skinny," I said and knocked the Dai Li to his knees, and continued rushing past him. The agent readied his stone-glove attack, but the I turned and disappeared down a side street. Rising to his feet, the agent rushed in pursuit. Before he rounded the corner, I jumped up onto the rooftop and waited.  
Rounding the corner, he saw a fake me waiting in the darkness, and launched his stone gloves at him, one after the other. The second stone fist removed the dummy's head, which was straw-filled. The dummy collapsed to the ground.  
"Huh?" the agent said, perplexed.  
My blade whispered as I drew it, and the jumped down and appeared at his back, placing a sword at his throat.  
"If you don't want to end up like him. You'll do what I say," I growled menacingly.

Detra:

I was inside of an apartment, sitting on a stool, my head hanging low.  
us - Kole, Odette, Alana, and Elise - and the Freedom fighters crowded together, regarding me suspiciously.  
"The Dai Li must have sent Detra to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot too," Kole said, regarding me with a cool expression.  
It hurt me more than he would ever know to see him look at me with such anger and hate. I deserved it for sure, but it still hurt nonetheless.  
Odette looked to him and I felt jealously pick at me.  
"I bet they have Emrys here in the city. Maybe she's in the same place they took Detra." She turned back to me, her pretty face comforting. "Where did they take you?"  
"Nowhere," I said, befuddled and raised my head. "I, I don't know what you're talking about."  
Odette sighed. "We need to find a way to jog her real memories."  
"Maybe Kole could kiss her. That should bring something back," Alana said teasingly.  
Kole glared at her, annoyed. "Maybe you should kiss her, Alana."  
"Hey, just an idea," she replied slyly.  
"A bad one," he snapped back, peeved.  
"Oo, wait. I got it." Alana plucked a straw from my mattress, poked it into my mouth in trademark fashion, then regarded me thoughtfully.  
Nothing.  
"I don't think its working. Puh!" I said and spat it onto the floor.  
Elise stepped up. "Try to think of something from your past that triggers your emotions."  
"The Fire Nation, remember what they did to your family," Smellerbee said.  
Kole looked at me gently. "Close your eyes. Picture it."  
I closed my eyes, and sweat beaded on my forehead. They suddenly snapped wide as a light seemed to flash inside my head, and I was transported back to the scene of my burning village. A screaming woman fled the blaze, as a young me stood transfixed at the dreadful scene. Surrounded by flames, the leader of the Rough Riders turned slowly to glare at me. I stood there helplessly, tears streaming down my face as the bright embers wafted about me. Horror-struck eyes, I drooped for a while, exhausted.  
"No! It's too painful," I said, shaken.  
"Maybe this will help."  
Kole stepped behind me, drawing out a portion of his bending water. He placed it around his hands and moved the water and his hands to the sides of my head, the water glowing with healing powers - I wondered when he'd learned that trick.  
I stared down at the shadow cast on the floor before me by the light of Kole's energies. As my eyes followed the floorboards, gaps appeared, revealing blue waters. The far side of the room was replaced by the distant shore of a great lake, and Long-Fang was standing in the distance upon its surface. Long-Fang regarded me grimly, and suddenly I plunged down into the dark depths of the lake. I emerged inside a vast man-made subterranean chamber. I was being subjected to the hypnotic light of an orbiting lantern by a pair of Dai Li agents. I shut my eyes against the light.  
"They took me to a headquarters under the water, like a lake," I said tentatively.  
Alana jumped up. "Wait! Remember what Nyra said? She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai."  
I jumped to my feet as well, recalling the name. "That's it! Lake Laogai."

Odette:

Detra led us to a vast lake, surrounded by rugged hills. The Freedom Fighters and our group lined up on the misty shore.  
Alana looked around. "So where's this secret headquarters?"  
Detra scratched her head. "Under the lake I think."  
Elise pointed to her right. "There's a tunnel right there near the shore."  
She walked that direction, whistling. Reaching the water's edge, Elise jumped up in an earthbending move, and a stone pathway rose to the surface. Elise walked along it to a stone disc, which she bended aside.  
Everyone peered down into the dark shaft, and Fang ran away, yelping nervously. From the depths of the shaft, I saw a narrow ladder that led up to the tiny circle of light where the we stood, far above. Without hesitating, we climbed down the latter one by one. Altogether, it took us about twenty minutes for us to all get down on the ground.  
One everyone was good to go, I looked around. We had come into some sort of underground base similar to the one in Detra described in her vision. It was a crosshatch of large passages lit by greenish firestone lanterns. A pair of Dai Li walked off into a side tunnel as our assembled group cautiously descended a dark stairway to the main chamber.  
Detra was leading our group and looking around with wide eyes. "It's all starting to come back to me."  
Detra edged quietly to a partially opened door, then moved on, followed by the rest of us. As we peered inside in turn, we saw rows of identically dressed young women standing hypnotically before a Dai Li agent.  
"I'm Nyra. Welcome to Eralith," the agent said.  
The Nyras spoke in perfect, robotic unison. "I'm Nyra. Welcome to Eralith."  
"We are so lucky to have our walls to create order," the agent continued.  
In perfect unison, the repeated his words. "We are so lucky to have our walls to create order."  
I felt a shiver of horror slither up and down my spine.  
"I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Emrys up ahead," Detra said once we passed the creepy Nyras. She stopped before a sealed stone door. "I think it's through here."

Ren:

I slid a stone door away and light spilled into the chamber I was trying to get into. Inside, Emrys was chained to the floor, and the light from the doorway casting my shadow as the dragon rose. Emrys growled uncertainly.  
"Expecting someone else?" I sneered as I stepped into the chamber, drawing a sword. The dragon shifted nervously in her chains and I smirked.  
Odette will come for you, and one she did, she would be mine…

Odette:

After Detra slid the door open, we did not find Emrys.  
We cautiously entered the massive shadowy cavern, and the stone door abruptly slid shut behind us. We spun around in surprise, as the room was plunged into darkness, then green lanterns flared to life, illuminating the vast cave. Only now did we notice the Dai Li high above us, suspended from chains or clinging to the ceiling itself. Ahead, Long-Fang waited with several more Dai Li.  
"Now that's something different," Alana said as we all stared up.  
"You have made yourselves enemies of the state," Long-Fang said grimly and we all glared at him angrily as Longshot notched an arrow. "Take them into custody."  
The Dai Li dropped down to the floor, encircling us. Two agents launched a stone fist attack, but Elise disintegrated them in mid-flight. As the dust cleared, she launched them across the room with a pair of rock pillars.  
Behind her, Detra turned and rushed another pair, cutting their stone fist projectiles from the air. Sliding along the ground past the first, she tripped the second with her hook sword, slamming him hard to the ground.  
Long-Fang watched dispassionately as I dealt with two more of his Dai Li with air and earthbending. Kole and Alana managed to destroy two more of the glove projectiles before being seized by two more. Elise intervened with a stone wall before they could be drug to the waiting Dai Li. They sent a rush of stone towards Elise, but she rose high into the cavern on a pillar of rock, forcing them to pursue her the same way.  
Two more Dai Li raced up the walls to either side of her, to strike out at Elise with horizontal columns of stone. High in the cavern, Elise swatted aside the first two agents, then leaped to avoid the two columns as they crashed together beneath her. Landing atop them, she bent up a pair of stone blocks from the columns, using them to drive away both of the remaining agents simultaneously. A fist of stone grabbed the back of her shirt, and she was hauled through the air toward a waiting Dai Li. Detra intervened at the last moment. Leaping past she hooked her belt with her sword, pulling Elise to safety as the agent kicked a stone foot attack after them. Longshot covered them as they landed, intercepting the missile with one of his arrows. Joined by two of her brethren, the Dai Li retaliated with three fist attacks at Longshot, but Detra cut them from the air with a whirlwind of slashes.  
Meanwhile Long-Fang had seen enough. He fled from the room, sealing a stone door behind him. I landed and blew two Dai Li aside with a burst of air.  
"Long-Fang is escaping!" I shouted to the others.  
Detra and I broke free from the melee to pursue him. I blasted open the stone door, and we raced down the passageway after the minister. We followed him as he turned into yet another chamber, a large room filled with pipe openings. As we entered, the door sealed behind us, and Long-Fang dropped from the ceiling behind us.  
"Alright Avatar, you've caused me enough problems. This is your last chance, if you want your dragon back," he said threateningly.  
"You do have Emrys. Tell me where she is!" I snarled, outraged.  
"Agree to exit the city now, and I'll waive all charges against you and allow you to leave with your lost pet," he replied.  
Detra raised her swords. "You're in no position to bargain."  
"Am I not?" Darius said hotly.  
I brandished my staff. "You're definitely not!"  
Long-Fang looked at Detra with a smirk. "Detra, The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."  
Detra's pupils suddenly dilated. "I am honored to except my invitation."  
Detra suddenly made a brutal double slash at my neck, which I nimbly avoided.  
Leaping away from her, I reeled backward in dismay as Detra charged me, snarling with anger.

Ren:

The dragon growled and stamped her feet at me - still in my Blue Spirit suit - as I stood just beyond her reach.  
"You're mine now," I said smugly.  
The door behind me opened suddenly and light spilling inward. I turned and readied both of my swords to attack. Uncle entered the room, closing the door behind him.  
"Uncle?" I gasped, taken aback.  
Uncle feigned puzzlement. "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask?"  
I sighed and removing my mask. "What are you doing here?"  
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you have found the Avatar's dragon? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for me?" he asked.  
I snorted at his sarcasm. "First I have to get it out of here."  
"AND THEN WHAT?!" He shouted, incensed. "You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had her, and then you had no where to go!"  
"I would have figured something out!" I snapped back heatedly.  
"No! If her friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!" he shouted angrily.  
I looked away in anguish. "I know my own destiny Uncle."  
"Is it your own destiny? Or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?" he asked forcefully.  
"Stop it Uncle. I have to do this," I said, tormented as I turned away, toward Emrys.  
Uncle started pleading furiously we me. "I'm begging you Prince Ren! It's time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you? And what do you want?"  
I wanted Odette. But I couldn't have her. Didn't he see that! He sure as hell saw everything else!  
With a cry of frustration, I hurled both of my swords to the ground, followed by the Blue Spirit mask as my shout continued to echo throughout the chamber.

Odette:

I backpedaled in a desperate attempt to avoid Detra's furious assault. I pleaded with her as I continued to dodge her attacks.  
"Detra, it's me Odette! You don't have to do this," I said desperately.  
Long-Fang smirked. "I'm afraid she no longer has a choice."  
Standing between us, a panting Detra, paused to catch her breath. Her eyes remained inky pools, and sweat ran down her face. With a shout, she renewed her attack, showing evidence of tiring as I evaded her. I propelled her backwards with a blast of air. Detra slowed herself with the hooks of her swords, which sparked against the stone floor. I took this opportunity to resumed pleading with her.  
"Detra, I'm your friend! Look inside your heart!"  
Detra, gasping, seemed conflicted.  
Long-Fang glared at me. "Do your duty Detra."  
Detra slowly approached me, swords raised.  
"He can't make you do this! You're a Freedom Fighter," I screamed.  
At these final words, Detra straightened in shock. She stood motionless, overcome by the thoughts racing through her brain. Behind her, Long-Fang's voice cut through her mental fog.  
"Do it! Do it now!"  
With a snarl of rage, Detra whirled and hurled one of her swords directly at Long-Fang. It shrieked toward him, imbedding its pommel-spike in the stone wall as Long-Fang avoided it. He simultaneously attacked with his earthbending, sending an out-thrust of stone rocketing towards Detra.  
When the dust cleared, I saw her lying on the ground motionless, having taken the full brunt of the brutal attack. Momentarily stunned by the ferocious attack, I started to rush Long-Fang, who lifted his self to the entrance of a tunnel on a column of stone.  
"Foolish girl. You've chosen your own demise," he growled contemptuously.  
He turned and vanished down the dark passage, as I moved over to where Detra lied.

Kole:

The rest of us burst into the stone chamber Odette and Detra had gone into, the latter of the two lying on the ground.  
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach when I saw her, her glossy red hair spilled out around her like blood.  
"I'm sorry, Odette," she said weakly as we approached.  
Odette was sitting at her side. "Don't be."  
We reached them and surround the stricken Detra, wearing sorrowful and shocked expressions. I drew forth my bending water, kneeled beside her, and applied my healing powers to her chest. I could feel her heartbeat, growing weaker and weaker by the second.  
My heart wrenching, I turned to the others. "This isn't good."  
Smellerbee looked like she was ready to cry. "You guys go find Emrys. We'll take care of Detra."  
no way was I leaving her now. "We're not going to leave you."  
Longshot spoke, for the first time I had ever heard him speak. "There's no time. Just go. We'll take care of her. She's our leader."  
The four of us looked at him with expressions of wonder.  
Detra looked up at me tenderly. "Don't worry Kole, I'll be fine."  
Detra smiled weakly up at me, and I closed my eyes in grief before rising to my feet. My heartbreaking, we filed off somberly, leaving the Freedom Fighters behind forever this time. Elise and Alana brought up the rear.  
"She's lying," Elise said softly.  
Behind us, Smellerbee wept over Detra. Longshot watched us walk away, before readying an arrow to cover the other entrance. Smellerbee gently stroked Detra's forehead as the legend prepared her final stand.

Odette:

The stone door slide aside as Elise ran out with us close behind her. We stepped into a room where six manacles lied empty within the prison.  
I wanted to pound my fists against the wall in frustration. "Emrys's gone. Long-Fang beat us here."  
"If we keep moving, maybe we can catch up to him," Alana said. We reached the tunnel that led down into the lake faster than I would have thought possible.  
An outcropping of rock bearing a circular stone plug arose at the edge of the lake. Cracks formed on the plug, and it shot off to shatter on the nearby cliff face. The four of us emerged and started racing along the narrow shoreline. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw nine Dai Li emerge in pursuit from the hole behind us.  
"Do you think we can out run them?" Alana asked, running beside me.  
I looked ahead and shook my head grimly. "I don't think it's gonna matter."  
Ahead were six more Dai Li flanking the waiting Long-Fang. The six agents bended up a thirty foot wall of stone beneath Long-Fang's feet, sealing the strip of land between the cliff side and the lake. We draw to a stop, and behind us the Dai Li raised up another wall, boxing us in. We were enclosed and surrounded by eighteen Dai Li, who clung to the edges of the walls and the cliff side while Long-Fang watched from atop the first wall. Fang, who had stayed up on land, ran over to me from the water and stood by my side, barking excitedly.  
"What is it Fang?" I asked.  
Fang launched forward, jumping up into the air. Moments later Emrys emerged from the dazzling light of the sun, hurtling downwards towards us. We all looked upwards with expressions of delight.  
"Emrys!" I yelled, tears springing to my eyes.  
Emrys swooped down and smashed through the first wall, continuing onward through the second. The Dai Li perched on the wall were knocked senseless by the bursting walls, and fell to the ground or spilled into the water. Elise and I bended the cliff that the remaining agents were perched on, flinging them far out into the lake. Emrys circled around to land heavily near the shaken Long-Fang, as the remaining Dai Li fled. Turning from his fleeing men, Long-Fang faced an enraged Emrys.  
"I can handle you by myself," he said angrily.  
He launched a kick at Emrys, who caught his leg in her teeth. With a mighty toss of her powerful neck, Emrys sent him skipping far out across Lake Laogai, to disappear with a final splash. The dragon paused momentarily before spitting out his shoe. Kole, Alana, Fang, and I threw ourselves onto the scaly, feather-winged dragon, while Elise stroked her nose.  
Alana hugged her leg. "Yeah! Emrys!"  
I had my head pressed in her neck, crying. "I missed you, buddy."  
Emrys's great sapphire blue eyes closed in contentment. We all piled on after a moment and took off over Lake Laogai. Kole stared down wistfully at the lake's surface, eyes brimming with tears. I knew he was thinking of Detra, regretting his last days with her.  
I put a hand on his shoulder, and he turns back to us, wiping a tear. All four of us gathered in an embrace, as Emrys carried us off into the distance.

Ren:

Uncle and I emerged from the passage that led into the lake and stepped into the bright sunlight.  
"You did the right thing, nephew," he said to me warmly. I pulled out the Blue Spirit mask, regarding its demonic visage as Uncle rested a hand on my shoulder. "Leave it behind."  
He was right. This life was causing nothing but torment for me. Maybe there was another way. My father didn't want me back, he only wanted me dead. Why should I bring the Avatar back to him when all he was going to do was find another excuse to banish me again. Odette would end him…and then I could get my throne back. And, maybe I could even have her on my side…as a friend or, hopefully, something more.  
I walked to the edge and dropped the mask into the lake, where it slowly sank into the depths.


	17. Chapter 17: The Earth King

Kole:

Odette, Alana, Elise, Emrys, Fang, and I stopped on a tiny islet in the center of the Lake Laogai. Odette was embracing Emrys, clinging to the feathers on the dragon's massive wings.  
"I missed you more than you'll ever know, buddy," she ardently.  
Fang padded over and sat next to Odette, also hugging Emrys. Emrys licked a laughing Odette's face with her huge tongue. Alana walked over to talk with me and Elise, who was sitting on the ground.  
"Look, we escaped from the Dai Li, we got Emrys back, I'm telling you, we should go to the Earth King now and tell him our plan. We're on a roll," she said confidently.  
"One good hour after weeks of trouble isn't much of a roll," I said critically. And plus…not all of us made it out alive.  
Alana smiled reassuringly. "We can build on it. If we want to invade the Fire Nation when the eclipse happens, we need the Earth King's support."  
Odette continued petting Emrys in the background as we talked.  
"What makes you think we'll get it? I don't know if you've noticed, but things don't usually go that smoothly for our little gang," Elise argued.  
Alana sighed. "I know, but I've got a good feeling about this. This time will be different."  
"Alana, Long-Fang is control of the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful. I think we should just keep flying and leave this horrible place behind us," I said, unconvinced.  
"I'm with sweetness. I've seen enough of Eralith," Elise said and raised her arms and opened her eyes wide. "And I can't even see!"  
Odette leaped into the conversation and landed beside me. "But now that we have Emrys back, there is nothing stopping us from telling the Earth King the truth about the conspiracy and the war."  
"See, Odette's with me," Alana said smugly and put her arm over smiling Odette's shoulder, flashing a wide grin. "It's the whole reason we came here in the first place, we have to try."  
I considered thoughtfully. "Well, I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things could change."  
Both girls smile again.  
Elise rose to her feet. "I don't trust the new positive Alana. Long-Fang brainwashed you, didn't he!"  
Odette suddenly noticed something off to her left. She rushed to the edge of the water, and we saw that she had spied three Earth Kingdom ships off in the distance. Alana and I rushed up beside her.  
"That's probably the Dai Li searching for us." Alana turned to me. "So?"  
I paused, then decisively smiled. "Let's fly!"

Odette:

Emrys soared toward the palace of Eralith. She roared defiantly as she turned to start her descent. We were clinging to the spines on her back, with me riding on her long neck. Elise in particular was holding on for dear life.  
"Can we please buy a new saddle? Riding bareback is terrifying!" she whined and buried her face in Emrys's back  
After only a little flying, Emrys was soon descending toward the distant palace, a massive complex at the center of the city, surrounded by a circular wall.  
"There it is. That whole thing is the palace. The Earth King's chambers should be in the center," Alana said as I examined the palace and the vast open plaza in front.  
Kole looked at it warily. "We have to be careful. Long-Fang's probably warned the King that we're coming."  
Alana frowned at him. "Why would you assume that? If you ask me, I think we're just gonna sail right in...Ahhh!"  
Emrys evaded a massive stone that streaked up and past us suddenly, leaving a billowing trail of dust behind it. The dragon emerged from the smoke cloud with a growl of defiance.  
Elise shouted over the wind. "What was that?!"  
Alana started shouting in alarm.  
"Surface to air rocks!" Below, several rows of massive, puck-shaped boulders were being launched skyward by teams of earthbending troops. "More incoming! Ahhh!"  
Emrys managed to evade several more of the streaking missiles, which were being shot in rapid succession. Two earthbenders lifted the Emrys-sized stones from the ground, and two more rushed forward to send one hurtling towards us.  
That's it. I've had enough of this!  
I stared steadily ahead at the palace as we flew over the launch sites. One of the massive stones arced directly at me, but I backhanded it casually, shattering it without even glancing away. Emrys emerged from the dust once more as more projectiles streaked towards her. I split a boulder with a strike of my staff, sending either half safely to the side.  
Below, an earth kingdom commander, mounted upon an armored ostrich-horse, signaled to the scores of earthbenders arrayed behind him on the central causeway. Emrys continued to plunge toward the palace, with me perched on her left horn. I leapt downward to land directly in front of the commander.  
Striking the ground with the full force of my descent, I earthbended a cascading ring of rising stone blocks, which spread outward like a shockwave. The earthbender troops were flung into the air like rag-dolls, to drop insensible to the plaza surface. Emrys landed directly in front of the mounted commander, and brought her huge face close and knocked him off his mount with a mighty roar. The ostrich horse fled in panic, and the commander crawled away.  
I strode forward with an intense glare, as behind me the others leapt to dismount from Emrys's back. We dashed together toward the palace stairs along the block-paved causeway. Ahead, more earthbenders lined either side of their path. Acting in unison, each bended up a head-sized block of stone, and punched it at us.  
I swiped some of them from the air, while Elise pushed up projections of stone to block others. Twirling my staff around my body, I caused the large stone blocks of the causeway to rotate, shielding us from yet more of the attacks. Meanwhile, Kole was stunning the men with vicious cracks of his long water whip.  
"Sorry!" he winced at the soldiers cries of pain.  
Yet another group of earthbenders rushed down the causeway toward them. With a single earthbending move, Elise flipped the causeway up like so many dominoes, then toppled them backwards. The soldiers were pinned helplessly at the waist by the large sheets of stone. Kole addressed them as he rushed past.  
"Sorry! We just need to get through to see the Earth King!"  
We were now approaching a moat at the foot of the wide stairs. More earthbender troops waited up the first flight of stairs, and dozens more approached from either flank. With a tremendous effort, the benders on the stairs lifted a pair of enormous badger-mole statues. They hurled them from atop the stairs to plunge down at us. Alana looked up in horror as the statue's shadow fell over her. Elise and I quickly bended up a massive barrier of stone blocks over everyone, and the two statues ricocheted off it with ground-shaking crash.  
Emerging from behind the barrier, Kole dashed forward, drawing his water once more from his reserve. She crafted a narrow arcing ramp on the edge of the moat ahead of him. He used it to launch his self up and over the moat, simultaneously drawing a tendril of water from below him. He twirled in the air, imparting a spin to the long strand orbiting him. Landing gracefully, he slapped the men into the moat, tumbled and landed in a defensive stance. Spotting another group of soldiers, he sent out a tentacle of water to snatch them into the moat as well.  
I leaped across the moat, and with a frigid gust of wind I froze the surface of the water, trapping the guardsmen. Emrys and the others made their way across the bridge behind me. We regrouped on the other side of the moat, as more rocks rained down from atop the towering main palace stair. Yet another wave of warriors poured forth from the palace, racing down the stairs to join the battle. With a mighty expression of earthbending power, Elise caused the entire length of the great stair to begin folding in on itself, leaving a smooth stone ramp. The soldiers began to slide helplessly downward, as Elise and I bended an elevator platform of stone and began ascending the ramp. Dozen of soldiers fell past us as we rose.  
"Seriously, we're actually on your guys' side," Alana said as soldiers continued to slide past. "Sorry."  
As the earthbending elevator reached the top of the stairs, another dozen earthguards closed in from either flank. Elise and I each bended up a wall of stone, and used them to drive back the approaching warriors. Finally, we reached the entrance to the palace proper, and hurried inside.  
"In there," Alana said.  
Rushing down a long hall, we came to a four-way intersection in a large vaulted room. More guards issued from the other three passageways. With a stomp of her foot, Elise pinned several of them to the ceiling with up-thrust pillars of rock. As she continued to wield her powers against them, Alana addressed her.  
"Elise, which way to the Earth King?" she asked.  
Elise snorted. "How should I know? I'm still voting that we leave Eralith."  
As she finished speaking, Elise drove two guards back with a rippling wave of stone. As the others continued the fight, Alana started pushing open doors. Inside the third room, a woman in an elegant dress was standing before a long mirror.  
The woman looked at her and started screaming. "Burglar!"  
She tried to run, tripped and fell on her face.  
Alana closed door behind her. "Sorry, wrong door."

Ren:

Downtrodden, I enter the apartment Uncle I were staying in, followed by my pleased-looking Uncle. I felt terrible. My head was spinning in circles and my vision was blurry and I could barely see straight. It felt like I had no strength left in my body at all and every part of my body ached with a blinding pain.  
"You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's dragon go free," Uncle said, but I only heard his voice dimly, as if he were speaking to me through a distant cave. He closed the door behind him and the click of the latch sounded like a gong going of right next to my head.  
"I don't feel right," I admitted feebly.  
My vision began to blur and grow dark, white spots dancing before my eyes. I suddenly collapsed to the floor, breaking a vase in the process.  
"Ren!" Uncle gasped, alarmed, and rushed to my side. He rolled me over and I looked up at the ceiling as black waters washed over me.

Odette:

In the Palace, we stood in a vast hall. Behind us the passage was choked with rubble and wreckage. Turning, I climbed atop the debris to look past it. Down the passageway I spied a massive set of double doors, clad in gold.  
"Now that's an impressive door. It's gotta go somewhere," I said.  
Alana came over beside me and saw the door as well. Leaping down and sprinting down the hall, she launched a flying kick at the colossal doors. Her foot impacted with absolutely no effect, and she seemed to hang in the air a moment before dropping comically to the floor. She jumped up and began pushing ineffectually at them, just as Elise and I closed in behind her. We struck the doors with our bending powers, causing them to explode off their hinges. With a startled cry, Alana was flung inward with the doors, and skidded to a stop on her face.  
"A little warning next time!" she snapped and rubbed the back of her head as she rose.  
We rushed past the fallen doors into a vast chamber lined with ornate pillars and lit by hanging lanterns. We drew to a stop before a large dais, weapons at the ready.  
Seated upon a golden throne was the Earth King himself. He was a bespectacled young man wearing a simple crown and necklace of jade beads. Long-Fang suddenly interposed himself in front of the king, followed by a protective line of Dai Li agents. Both sides seemed prepared to join battle.  
"We need to talk to you!" I said urgently to the king.  
Long-Fang turned to the king hurriedly. "They're here to overthrow you."  
Alana glared at him. "No, we're on your side. We're here to help."  
"You have to trust us," Kole said, appealing.  
The Earth King rose with an aggravated tone. "You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?"  
Elise shrugged sardonically. "He has a good point."  
"If you're own my side, then drop your weapons and stand down," he said. One by one, we dropped our weapons to the floor.  
"See, we're friends, your Earthiness," I said, attempting charm.  
The King, unimpressed, continued to frown grimly. With a wave of his arm, Long-Fang signaled for the Dai Li to attack. They projected their stone gloves at us, binding our arms behind their backs. As I strained against my bonds, Long-Fang smiled wickedly.

Kole:

The five Dai Li stood ready before Long-Fang and the Earth King.  
"Detain the assailants," he ordered and the Dai Li skated forward to take up positions behind us.  
Alana was confused. "But we dropped our weapons. We're your allies."  
Long-Fang ignored her. "Make sure the Avatar and her friends never see daylight again."  
The Earth King was surprised. "The Avatar? You're the Avatar?"  
He pointed at Alana.  
"Uh, no, her," she said awkwardly and nodded her head toward Odette.  
"Over here," she said and effortlessly escaped her bonds. Odette raised up her arms, then allowed them to be bound behind her again.  
"What does it matter Your Highness? They're enemies of the state," Long-Fang said in disgust.  
"Perhaps you're right," the King said uncertainly.  
The Earth King's pet bear walked up to Odette, sniffed and then licked her face, causing Odette to giggle.  
The Earth King was amused. "Though Bosco seems to like her. I'll hear what she has to say."  
Long-Fang's eyes narrowed with displeasure.  
Odette approached the throne. "Well, sir, there is a war going on right now. For the past 100 years, in fact. The Dai Li's kept it secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city, and to control you."  
The Earth King was dismayed. "A secret war? That's crazy!"  
"Completely!" Long-Fang growled derisively.  
Odette glared daggers at him accusingly. "Long-Fang didn't want us to tell you, so he stole our dragon to blackmail us. And blackmail is the least of his crimes, he brain washed our friend!"  
Long-Fang turned to the King calmly. "All lies. I've never even seen a dragon, Your Majesty. Frankly, I thought they were extinct."  
The Earth King sat back on his throne, skeptical. "Your claim is difficult to believe, even from an Avatar."  
Long-Fang whispered conspiratorially. "These hooligans are part of an anarchist cell that my agents have been tracking for weeks. If you listen to them, you're playing right into your own destruction."  
"I have to trust my advisor," the King said, resigned.  
Awesome.  
I looked at him, distraught, as one of the Dai Li stepped forward for me. As we were being led from the throne room, Alana suddenly turned with a look of inspiration.  
"Wait, I can prove he's lying. Long-Fang said he's never seen a dragon, ask him to lift his robe."  
Long-Fang was appalled. "What?! I am not disrobing!"  
The Earth King looked thoughtful again. I caught on quickly and Alana and I smiled and nodded knowingly at each other. I drew in a mighty breath of air, and blew a powerful gust of wind at Long-Fang, blowing up his minister's robes. The tooth mark bruise he received from Emrys could be clearly seen on his left leg.  
"Right there! Emrys bit him," I exclaimed.  
"Never met a dragon, huh?" Alana said smugly.  
Long-Fang pushed down his robes, feigning embarrassment. "That happens to be a large birthmark. Thanks for showing everyone."  
"Well, I suppose there's no way to prove where those marks came from," the King said.  
Alana smiled. "Of course there is!"  
A moment later, with a little bit of convincing the king, Emrys was standing behind us in the throne room. Emrys gaped open her huge mouth when I asked her to.  
I pointed to one of her large teeth, then slid over to point at the matching bruise on the minister's leg.  
"Yup, that pretty much proves it," the King said, finally convinced.  
Our group pumped our arms in the air. "Yeah! Woo!"  
"But it doesn't prove this crazy conspiracy theory."  
We all slumped in disappointment. "Awww."  
"Though, I suppose this matter is worth looking into," the King said, smiling gently.  
We gestured uncertainly. "Uh, ok, we'll take it. Yeah."  
A apprehensive looking Long-Fang exited the throne room, followed by his Dai Li agents.

Ren:

Feverish, I tossed and moaned on my futon in the apartment, feeling like every inch of my skin had been set on fire while my insides continued to cramp and send sharp pains stabbing through me. Uncle was kneeling next to me, and reached to take a cloth from a tub of water.  
"You're burning up. You have an intense fever," he explained as I became conscious again. I had a horrible headache, one that made me feel like my skull had been split open.  
I groaned again as Uncle placed a cool cloth over my brow. "This will help cool you down."  
Not really but it was better than nothing.  
I tried to swallow and realized my mouth was drier than sand.  
"So thirsty," I groaned feebly and tried to sit up, but was pushed back down by Uncle.  
"Here's some clean water to drink," he said and ladled water from another bucket, and supported my shoulders while I drank. "Stay under the blankets, and sweat this out."  
The water provided instant relief and I felt some of the pain ebb away. I needed more. I snatched the ladle from him and drained it completely. I tossed it away and turned and grabbed up the bucket, pouring it down my throat and splashing my chest. I hurled it against a wall before settling back down, coughing as the fiery feeling continued to engulf me.

Kole:

The Eralith train passed over the city on its raised track. Inside, the passengers wore stunned expressions. Everyone was staring at the Earth King, who stood in the center of the car, flanked by four of his guardsmen.  
The King looked at me uncomfortably. "So, this is what a train is like? I didn't realize it would be this... Public."  
He looked awkwardly at the rows of passengers seated to either side of him.  
"So you've never been outside the upper ring before?" I asked, astonished.  
"I've never been outside of the palace." He pointed out a window. "Now that's the way to travel."  
Emrys was flying alongside the train, Fang riding on her head with Odette.  
The King smiled at her and turned back to my sister and I. "So, may I ask where we're going?"  
"Underneath Lake Laogai, Your Kingliness. To the Dai Li's secret headquarters. You're about to see where all the brainwashing and conspiring took place," Alana said grimly.  
After we got off the train, we headed straight for the shores of Lake Laogai. We stood on the shore beside the Earth King and his guards. Elise stepped to the edge of the water, and with a hop, attempted to raise the causeway that led to the underground passage. However, only broken rubble rose to the surface.  
Elise gaped. "It's gone!"  
Alana raised her hands to her face in dismay.  
"Oh, don't tell me.." She slumped, then recovered and flashed a thumbs-up. "That's ok, still got my positive attitude."  
I shook my head. "The Dai Li must have known we were coming and destroyed the evidence."  
The Earth King frowned suspiciously. "Hmm. That seems awfully convenient."  
Alana was starting to get annoyed. "Hey, if anything, this proves the conspiracy exists even more."  
The King was dissatisfied. "Long-Fang was right, this was a waste of time. If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to the palace."  
He turned to leave with his guards.  
Suddenly inspired, I jumped forward. "The wall! They'll never be able to cover that up in time!"  
"Oh yeah," Odette said and vaulted upward, to land in front of the departing King. "If you come with us to the outer wall, we can prove to you that the secret war is real!"  
The King was annoyed now. "No Earth King has ever been to the outer wall. I don't have anymore time for this nonsense."  
He brushed past her as she looked on sadly.  
Alana rushed up. "If you come with us, this time you can ride on Emrys."  
The Earth King paused as Emrys growled slightly. A pleased smile grew on his face and he nodded his assent.

Odette:

The King screamed in fright, his clothes flapping in the wind. He was clinging to the back of the flying dragon.  
Elise looked at him irreverently. "First time flying?"  
The King nodded breathlessly. "Its both thrilling and terrifying."  
"Yeah, I hate it too."  
The king turned to me warily. "I have to be honest with you. Part of me really hopes that what you are telling me about this war...isn't true."  
"I wish it wasn't," I muttered under my breath.  
Emrys soared over the patchwork fields that lay between the city and the outer wall.

Ren:

I was having a fever-dream.  
In my dreams, a figure kneeled upon the Firelord's throne-mat, behind a screen of golden flames. Rows of fire nation soldiers genuflected towards the throne, and they bowed towards me. I was clad in the raiment and crown of the Firelord, my serene face was without scar or blemish. As I sat impassively, two sinuous dragons, one blue and one red, slithered down nearby pillars to address me.  
The blue dragon spoke in a voice that was eerily similar to Athera's. "It's getting late. Are you planning to retire soon, my Lord?"  
"I'm not tired," I replied.  
The blue dragon drew close to my face. "Relax, Fire Lord I. Just let go, give into it. Shut your eyes for awhile."  
The red dragon spoke in Uncle's insistent voice. "No, Fire Lord Ren! Do not listen to the Blue Dragon. You should get out of here right now. Go! Before it's too late!"  
Both dragons were poised to either side of me.  
"Sleep now, Fire Lord Ren," the blue dragon whispered, her voice like poison, seeping into my mind and confusing me.  
Both dragons disappeared. The throne room was swallowed by inky blackness, and the four pillars crumbled and fell into the void. As the room fell dark, the soldier's armor collapsed to the floor, empty. I searched the darkness, eyes wide with distress. Two golden eyes appeared, then the face of the blue dragon, which closed rapidly.  
The blue dragon spoke in a rising voice that really was Athera's. "Sleep…just Like MOTHER!"  
The dragons jaws gaped wide, swallowing me in complete darkness. Within that darkness I drew closer to the figure of my mother, who dropped her hood.  
"Ren, help me!" she cried plaintively.  
My distraught face was reflected in her eyes, as we fell into even more darkness. I was then kneeling once more on the throne-mat in a sea of blackness, and a hole seemed to open up beneath me, swallowing everything.

Kole:

Emrys carried everyone to the top of the outer wall. As we passed atop it, Odette pointed down excitedly, her long hair swirling around her face.  
"It's still there!" she gasped, her grey eyes wide with excitement.  
The earth king stared in wonderment. "What is that?"  
"It's a drill. A giant drill made by the Fire Nation, to break through your walls," Alana said.  
As Alana spoke, we looked at the Drill far below us, still partially imbedded in the great wall. It sat in a lake of slurry and was enclosed by a recently erected perimeter of stone wall. The Earth King wore a stunned expression. Now atop the great wall, the Earth King gazed down at the massive machine penetrating the outer defenses.  
"I can't believe I never knew," he said, shaken as he looked to his right as Long-Fang arrived on a stone elevator, flanked by two of his agents.  
"I can explain this, Your Majesty," he said reasonably as he approached. "This is nothing more than... a construction project."  
I looked at him sarcastically. "Really Then perhaps you can explain why there's a Fire Nation insignia on your construction project."  
I gestured toward the drill, which bore the symbol clearly upon its back.  
"Well, it's imported of course. You know you can't trust domestic machinery," he said lamely and smiled weakly, everyone staring at him. "Surely you don't believe these children, instead of your most loyal attendant?!"  
The Earth King, clearly in shock, looked first to us then over to Long-Fang, who wore an unreadable expression.  
"Dai Li, arrest Long-Fang. I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom," the King finally said firmly.  
Long-Fang's expression changed to one of alarm and we looked at each other, surprised at this sudden victory. The two Dai Li agents exchanged glances, and then snared Long-Fang's wrists in their chain-manacles. They pulled him backwards, securing his arms behind him.  
"You can't arrest me. You all need me more than you know!" he snapped, outraged as he was drug away by the agents.  
Alana shouted after him mockingly. "Looks like Long-Fang is "long gone"! Ha...Oh, yeah, I've been waitin' to use that one."  
She laughed as she rubbed a tear from one of her eyes.

Odette:

That night, we were taken to the inside of the Earth King's throne room. The four of us were lined before the base of the dais and the King was seated on his throne, his pet bear sitting at his feet.  
"I want to thank you, young heroes for opening my eyes. All this time, what I thought was a great metropolis, was merely a city of fools, and that makes me the king fool," he said sincerely and buried his face in one of his hands. "We're at war, with the Fire Nation."  
Alana stepped forward. "That's why we came to Eralith, Your Highness. Because we think you can help us end the war.  
"We don't have much time. There's a comet coming this summer. Its energy will give the fire benders unbelievable strength. They'll be unstoppable," I said as Fang hopped over to sit atop Bosco, as the Earth King leaned forward intently.  
"But there is hope. Before the comet comes, we have a window of opportunity. A solar eclipse is coming. The sun will be entirely blocked out by the moon, and the fire benders will be helpless," Alana said.  
The Earth King frowned. "What are you suggesting, Alana?"  
"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation. The Day of Black Sun," she said confidently.  
"I don't know. That would require moving troops out of Eralith. We'd be completely vulnerable," he replied apprehensively.  
Alana sighed. "You're already vulnerable. The Fire Nation won't stop until Eralith falls. You can either sit back and wait for that to happen, or take the offensive, and give yourself a fighting chance."  
We all waited anxiously as the King considered his options. thankfully, the scale tipped in out favor today.  
"Very well. You have my support."  
Our gang drew together. "Woo! Alright! Good work team!"  
Alana, Elise, and Kole hugged, as I circled them on an air scooter.  
A men entered the throne room just then. "Your Majesty. I apologize for the interruption."  
He walked up next to us, at the base of the dais, and dropped to his hands and knees.  
"This is General Wulfric, he's the leader of The Council of Five. My highest- ranking generals," the Kind said to us, gesturing fondly to the man.  
General Wulfric lifted his forehead from the floor. "We searched Long-Fang's office. I think we found something that will interest everybody."  
The King regarded us for a second before we all departed and made for Long-Fang's office. The Earth King took a seat at his former advisors desk and the rest of us crowed around it. A guardsman came in then carrying a small ornate chest. The guardsman slid the box across the desk to the Earth King, then departed.  
"There are secret files on everyone in Eralith. Including you kids," General Wulfric said as the King opened the chest.  
I frowned. "Secret files?"  
The Earth King read the address on a rolled up scroll. "Elise Amberhood."  
The scroll was handed across to Elise, who handed it to Kole.  
Kole unrolled and read. "It's a letter from your mom. You mom's here in the city, and she wants to see you."  
Elise's face lit up in surprise.  
"Long-Fang intercepted our letters from home? That's just sad," she said, disgusted.  
The Earth King handed another to me. "Odette."  
"This scroll was attached to the horn of your dragon when the Dai Li captured it," General Wulfric said as I unrolled it.  
I read through it quickly and blinked in surprise. "It's from the Eastern Air Temple."  
Kole stepped up hopefully. "Is there a letter for me and Alana by any chance?"  
The Earth King shuffled things around for a moment before he looked up sadly. "I'm afraid not."  
Both siblings exchanged sorrowful looks and visibly deflated.  
"Oh," Alana said, trying to mask her disappointment.  
"But there is an intelligence report that might interest you," How said and handed another scroll to Kole.  
"A small fleet of water tribe ships…" he read.  
Alana jumped over eagerly. "What? That could be Dad."  
Kole rose in excitement. "Protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay, led by Kodah. It is Dad!"

Ren:

Uncle poured hot tea into a stoneware cup as I looked up at him dizzily.  
"You should know this is not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea," he said and supported my head as I drank.  
"What? What's happening?" I mumbled, disoriented.  
"You're critical decision, what you did beneath that lake...it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war within your own mind and body." I took a second sip of the tea, not understanding.  
"What's that mean…" I collapsed in a fit of coughing.  
"You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be." He mopped my forehead with the damp cloth as I fell into unconsciousness.

Kole:

Odette, Alana, Elise and I sat in a circle on a rug inside Long-Fang's office.  
Odette was reading her scroll. "I can't believe it. There's a man living at the Eastern Air Temple. He says he's a Guru."  
"What's a Guru? Some kind of poisonous blowfish?" Alana asked and scratched the back of her head.  
"No, a spiritual expert. He wants to help me take the next step in the Avatar journey. He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State," she replied eagerly.  
"And I can't believe we know where our Dad is now," I said happily, holing out the report.  
"I know what you mean. My Mom's in the city, and from her letter it sounds like she finally understands me," Elise reassured.  
"This is all such big news. Where do we even start?"  
I turned to my sister, knowing what had to come next. "I hate to say it, but...we have to split up."  
Odette looked at me, distraught. "Split up? We just found Emrys and got the family back together. Now you want us to separate?"  
"You have to meet this Guru, Odette. If we're gonna invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready," I said firmly.  
Odette smiled. "Well, if I'm going to the Eastern Air Temple. Emrys and I can drop you at Chameleon Bay to see your Dad."  
"Someone has to stay here with the Earth King and help him plan for the invasion. I guess that's me?" Alana said, resigned as she rose to her feet with a glum expression.  
I rose as well, seeing how much it hurt her to say that. "No Alana, I know how badly you want to help Dad. You go to Chameleon Bay, I'll stay here with the king."  
Alana looked at me in shock, tears welling in her eyes.  
"You are...the nicest... brother...ever," she cried and did a strange little happy dance, threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek.  
I pushed her back, pleased. "Easy there, big sister. Though you're right, I am."

Odette:

The next morning, we met in the plaza at the foot of the palace. The Earth King was descending the great stair, to where we were gathered around Emrys. Elise was pressing affectionately against Emrys's flank while Kole looked hesitant, then turned to speak to me.  
"Odette, I need to tell you something. I've been wanting to say it for a long time," he said softly, blushing and looking down.  
I looked at him curiously. "What is it Kole?"  
I really hoped it wasn't the dating thing again cause I just couldn't…wouldn't, go down that road again. My feeling's for Ren - no matter how ridiculous and stupid - were just too strong to ignore, and it wouldn't be fair to Kole to keep leading him on.  
Hesitant and still blushing, he finally spoke. "Odette, I…"  
Alana abruptly interrupted, throwing me in a headlock. "Alright! Who's ready to get going on our little woman-only woman trip!"  
She gave me a head-noogie, as Kole wore a incredulous expression.  
The Earth King approached us then and we wheeled about, me still in a headlock. "Odette and Alana, I wish you good journey. Eralith owes you its thanks, and we look forward to your return."  
Alana released me, and all three of us bowed respectfully to the King.  
"Your Majesty. There are three female warriors here to see you, they're from the island of Kyoshi," a guard said, approaching us respectfully.  
Alana froze while climbing Emrys's side and slipped and fell to the stone plaza, sat up, and began rubbing her sore back.  
She was shocked and delighted. "That's Tarren!"  
"You know these warriors?" The King asked.  
Alana rose, speaking confidently. "Oh yeah. The Kyoshi warriors are a skilled group of fighters, trust worthy too. They're good friends of ours."  
The Earth King was satisfied. "Then we shall welcome them as honored guests."  
Kole turned to me as I prepared to depart. "Wait, Odette."  
He threw his arms around me, much to my surprise. He kissed my cheek, causing me to blush furiously.  
"I'm really gonna miss you guys," Elise said quietly.  
Kole sighed. "Me too."  
I nodded, realizing that we were going to be separated for who knew how long…maybe until the war was over. "Yeah."  
Kole and I threw our arms around her lovingly, while Alana stood apart, arms folded. She peeked up just in as we swarmed around her, catching her in a group hug.  
"Ahhh! Great! That's enough! Ok, we love each other," she said, embarrassed and patted mine and Kole's head. "Seriously."

Ren:

I woke from a deep sleep in the apartment. I felt…normal. Uncle had said I was going through a change, but I didn't feel any different. I still had the same goals, the same conflicted, confusing feelings about Odette.  
Rising wearily, I left the bed and walked past the sleeping Uncle. I slid open a door into a small washroom, and splashed cool water from a basin over my face, taking deep breaths. I looked up into the mirror and froze.  
I was startled to see my reflection mimicking that of the Avatar's. It was without my scar and bore the thin arrow tattoos on my forehead and arms.  
With a cry, I suddenly started from my sleep.  
"Ahhhh!" I screamed and sat up in a jolt, breathing heavily, eyes wide.  
Terrified, I placed my fingers around my left eye. I closed them as I realized I still bore my terrible scar.

Odette:

Alana and I were traveling over barrens, Emrys flying among the low clouds. I sat on her neck as Alana reclined comfortably on Emrys's back.  
"You see I, a little positive thinking works wonders. We got the King on our side, we got Long-Fang arrested, and when we get back, Tarren's waiting for me," Alana said smugly, perfectly at ease.  
"Yeah, guys are waiting for us. Thanks "positive attitude"," I said, trying to sound pleased.  
Alana smiled cheerfully. "Everything's gonna work out perfectly, from now on and forever."  
I turned and shared her smile.  
Let's hope so.

Elise:

I came to a beautiful house in the upper ring of Eralith. I was so full of excitement at seeing my mother again I could barely contain myself.  
At the front door, I hesitated, took a deep breath and exhaled nervously. Stepping up to the door, I rapped lightly on it, and the unlocked door opened slightly. I stepped into the unlit room, which was bare of furnishings.  
"Hello? Mom? Anyone home?" I called out, inching my way in.  
I walked into the center of the large empty room with a look of confusion, which was replaced by one of suspicion. Something was up.  
I readied myself for trouble just as a large steel trap descended from the ceiling. I gave a shriek of surprise as it snapped me up, enclosing me in a metal box  
"Hey! Who do you think you're dealing with?!" I yelled, frightened as two figures drop down from above outside of the box.  
"One loud mouth little brat who strayed too far from home," I heard Alex's voice say and I felt my eyes fly wide with anger.

Athera:

The Earth King's palace was certainly amazing, one could really appreciate it under cover. Two lines of soldiers created a path towards a platform while the three of us "Kyoshi warriors" walked past the troops toward the Earth King. As we approached him he began to address us.  
"In our hour of need, it is with the highest honor that I welcome our esteemed allies, the Kyoshi warriors," he said formerly.  
The poor pathetic fool.  
All three of us dropped to hands and knees, pressing our heads to the ground to keep up the disguise. When he finished, we raised our heads. I was flanked by Kenna and Naveen, similarly dressed in the garb of the Kyoshi warriors.  
My voice was steady, my eyes cool and deadly. "We are the Earth King's humble servants."


	18. Chapter 18: The Guru

Ren:

I woke up in a beautiful multi-story residential complex in the inner ring. The splendid structure of the third floor was a nice changeup from our old cramped apartment.  
I blinked open my eyes and rubbed my hand over my face as I heard Uncle cooking at a stove. I looked around from where I was, seeing that our pleasant apartment was a vast improvement over the tenement in the lower ring.  
Still groggy from sleep, I got up and stumbled out of the nice warm bed and into the kitchen, yawning like a house cat.  
Something smelled really good and my stomach grumbled hungrily.  
"What's that smell?" I asked, watching as Uncle stirred a thick white paste in a steaming pot.  
Uncle looked at me doubtfully. "It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it."  
Curious, I bowed over the pot, inhaling, as Uncle stepped back. It couldn't hurt to try it.  
"Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle," I said pleasantly and picked up and held out a bowl.  
"Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow," he said suspiciously as he ladled some jook into the proffered bowl.  
"It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are looking up Uncle," I said optimistically.  
I moved to the table and kneeled as I spoke, sipping from the bowl and looking out an open window. Uncle's concerned look melted into a pleased smile at my new attitude.

Alana:

Emrys soared in for a landing on a seaside cliff. In the distance four large, blue-sailed Northern Water Tribe ships could be seen in Chameleon Bay. Near the docked vessels sat an encampment of blue tents.  
"You haven't seen your Dad in over two years. You must be so excited," Odette said enthusiastically.  
"I know I should be, but I just feel sick to my stomach," I replied, visibly nauseous.  
I clutched my gurgling belly.  
Odette smiled reassuringly. "Don't be nervous, he's going to be so happy to see you."  
She placed her hand on my shoulder, causing me to smile slightly.  
"So what about you? Are you nervous to meet this Guru?" I asked.  
It was so hard to think about our gang going separate ways. We had all become so close over the past few months. I had never been away from Kole before and Odette had been with us from the very beginning on this crazy, whirlwind of a trip. The three of us had been through so much and so had Elise. Even thought the kid had only been with us for a short time she already felt like a member of the family.  
"Not at all. I'm ready to master the Avatar State. I'll do whatever it takes," she replied confidently and I wished I could feel as chipper as she seemed to.  
With a final hug goodbye, I dropped off of Emrys's back, looked up at Odette, and smiled.  
"See you in a week. Yip Yip!" she said. With that, Emrys launched off the cliff into the air and she was gone.  
I turned and looked out over the camp below, and let out a resigned sigh before heading off for it. After I got down the cliff, I nervously walked into the encampment. Water Tribe warriors who were engaged in various activities turned to regard me with a pleasant, surprised look. I was intercepted in the middle of the camp by a tall warrior. We regarded each other for a moment, then clasped arms in greeting, broad smiles on our faces. The other men gathered around us, laughing with delight.  
"Alana, good to see you," one of the warriors said.  
I felt like I was walking on air as I was surrounded by my people once again. They were my brothers, my family, my home.  
Another of the tribesmen pushed on the top of my head in a friendly fashion, scrunching me down like a small girl. I straightened to show my height with a grin. The tribesman compared my stature with his hand, and was amazed that I was nearly as tall as he was. The smiling men stood aside to reveal the tent at the head of the encampment, which bore the symbol of the Northern Water Tribe. I strode toward the command tent, filled with emotion.  
I parted the flaps of the tent to reveal a group of senior tribesmen sitting around a chart of the world. At the end of the tent my dad sat, pondering the map. As the flaps closed behind me, my tentative expression changed to a small smile. A warrior bearing burn scars on his arm and chest kneeled next to Dad, returning my smile. Dad was preoccupied with the map, frowning in concentration until the warrior nudged him with an elbow. He finally looked up, shocked then elated to see me.  
"Alana."  
"Hi Dad," I smiled, my voice thick with emotion.  
He rose and crossed the tent and we embraced. I rested my head on his father's shoulder with a blissful look of happiness.

Athera:

My team and I returned to the grandiose throne room of the Earth King. The King was seated on his golden throne, his bear Bosco resting his chin on one of the throne's arms. Kenna, Naveen, and I were kneeling at the foot of the dais, still disguised as the Kyoshi warriors.  
"Look Bosco, the Kyoshi Warriors are here to protect us. Aren't you excited?" he asked the bear and tugged playfully on Bosco's cheeks, who yawned.  
The Earth King turned serious. "It's been a difficult week for me. My most trusted advisor, Long-Fang, and his Dai Li agents tried to take control of Eralith from me."  
"It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you," I said smoothly, smirking inside. This would be easier than I'd originally thought.  
He stroked Bosco's head. "But there is good news. As we speak, the Council of Five is meeting to plan an invasion of The Fire Nation this summer. On the day of a solar eclipse."  
My eyes widened slightly at these last words. Well that wasn't good…we lost our bending during the eclipse.  
I feigned enthusiasm, covering the small trickle of dread I felt. "Really? Now that sounds like a fascinating and brilliant plan."  
My three companions and I exchanged glances.

Kole:

I was in the military headquarters of Eralith. On the top floor, an enormous open chamber served as the war room. The center of the ornate room was dominated by a map of the known world, perhaps sixty feet to a side. I kneeled at the raised frame of the map, Fang perched next to me. The Council of Five were seated at a long table overlooking it.  
"General Fong's base will serve as the launching point of the attack," General Wulfric said, gesturing to the colored stone markers representing military units. "In exactly two months, the Army and Navy will invade the Fire Nation on The Day of Black Sun."  
As he said this, he earthbended three earth unit markers across the sea to the fire nation capitol, where a red marker stood. Fang suddenly pounced on the fire nation maker, scattering the other pieces.  
"Or we could send in Fang to do some damage," I said, amused.  
Fang continued to hop around the map, scattering more pieces.  
I laughed.  
"Cause the…" I continued to laugh, then noticed the grim expressions of the Council. "...sorry."  
With a gesture, General Wulfric snapped the pieces upright. A startled Fang shrieked and raced off the map, to sit be me once more.  
"All we need is the Earth King's seal in order to execute the plan," the General said and placed a scroll on a section of the map frame, which he bended across the map to me.  
"I'll get these scrolls to him right away. Thank you, General Wulfric," I said respectfully.  
I picked up the scroll, rose and bowed slightly, and turned to depart.

Odette:

Emrys flew towards the direction of the setting sun, past mist shrouded mountain peaks. From my seat on Emrys, I looked about in wonder and nostalgia as I made my way through the familiar mountains. Ahead I saw the three mountain spires of the Eastern Air Temple, linked by bridges. I peered ahead as Emrys soared closer to the temple, and I spotted the Guru Phet seated in the lotus position upon a round dias. Emrys settled in for a landing at its base. Sitting on Emrys's large head, I looked up towards the Guru.  
"Um, hello?" I said uncertainly and hopped down, starting up stairs. "You're Guru Phet, right? The person who attached the note to Emrys's horn?"  
"Indeed. I was a spiritual brother of your people, and a personal friend of Monk Athos," he said.  
I sat facing the Guru. "In your note, you said you could teach me to gain control of the Avatar State. How?"  
Guru Phet nodded serenely. "You must gain balance within yourself before you can bring balance to the world. And the first step to gaining balance begins with this." He held up a wooden cup with a yellow liquid in it. "Drink up!"  
I tentatively took a swallow of the thick yellow stuff, and reacted with disgust, spitting it out to my left.  
"Ugh! It tastes like onion and banana juice!" I gagged, appalled.  
"That's because it is." Phet emptied another bowl, and held it over his head like a ridiculous hat. "Yum yum!"  
I gaped at him in stunned disbelief.

Elise:

From what I could feel, we were traveling along a road in the rocky, forested lands of the Earth Kingdom. The ostrich-horse drawn wagon came to a fork in the road, and continued on the main left branch. Axel was driving the wagon, Master Reed riding beside him. They had the large metal box I was in chained and loaded in the back.  
"I believe we need to go right!" I heard Reed say insensitively.  
Axel stopped the wagon. "What are you talking about? The Amberhood Estate's this way."  
"I'm quite certain you're mistaken."  
Annoyed, I banged on the inside of the box as hard as I could.  
"Hey! Can you two old ladies quit your bickering for a second? I gotta go to the bathroom!" I said urgently.  
Reed was hesitant but always the gullible fool. Oh. "Okay, but make it quick."  
I heard Reed take out a key and prepared to head to the back.  
Axel grabbed Reed's arm. "What's wrong with you!"  
"Oh very sneaky Elise! Nice try, but you can't trick me," he said and tossed the key in his palm, resuming his seat.  
"Let me out of here, so I can kick both your butts!" I shouted, furious as I banged on walls.  
"Quit your banging," Alex snapped angrily and struck the side of box. "You might think you're the greatest earthbender in the world, but even you can't bend metal."  
Axel cracked the reins, starting the wagon off again. Inside the metal box, I looked around worriedly. I laid my palm against one of the metal seams of my prison.

Athera:

That night we were given a small building in the upper ring. Inside, a smiling Kenna was looking in a mirror. She was wiping the last traces of her Kyoshi makeup from her face. Naveen was seated next to nearby, still working on her own face. I paced the floor behind them.  
"We have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity, girls," I said.  
"Naveen finally gets to wear makeup that's not totally depressing?" Kenna teased.  
"Ha. Ha," Naveen said, deadpan. She had large, dark splotches of makeup beneath her eyes.  
I walked to a window, calculating. "I'm talking about conquering the whole Earth Kingdom."  
The two girls turned with shocked looks.  
I stared out the window. "For a hundred years the fire nation has hammered away at Eralith from the outside. But now we are on the inside, and we can take it by ourselves."  
Kenna looked at me admiringly. "Gosh, you're so confident. I really admire that about you."  
I ignored her. "From the inside we're in the perfect position to organize a coup and overthrow the Earth King. The key is the Dai Li. Whoever controls the Dai Li, controls Eralith."  
I turned and smiled wickedly at my friends.

Odette:

I looked up at the star-filled skies above the Eastern Air Temple as I stood in a deep rocky crevasse. Guru Phet and I stood at a steam that wound through the rocks at the base of the gulch.  
"In order to master the Avatar State, you must open all of the chakras. I, tell me everything you know about chakras," Phet said.  
I rubbed an eye sleepily. "What are chakras?"  
Guru Phet was disappointed. "Oh, I see. I guess we'll start with the basics.  
He turned to a murky pool where the creek water had gathered. "The water flows through this creek much like the energy flows through your body," he said and stirred the pool with a stick. "As you see there are several pools where the water swirls around before flowing on. These pools are like our charkas."  
"So chakras are pools of spiraling energy in our bodies?"  
Phet was pleased. "Exactly! If nothing else were around, this creek would flow pure and clear. However, life is messy, and things tend to fall in the creek, and then what happens?"  
"The creek can't flow?"  
"Yes. But if we open the paths between the pools…" He cleared some moss clogging the water with his stick. The water poured quickly into the next pool, and soon all of them were running clean and clear.  
"The energy flows!" I said eagerly, smiling.  
Phet looked to me with a satisfied smile.  
After we sorted out the chakras, he took me to a dark misty cavern beneath the air temple. Deep inside, the Guru and I sat in the lotus position, facing one another.  
"There are seven chakras that go up the body. Each pool of energy has a purpose, and can be blocked by a specific kind of emotional muck. Be warned...opening the chakras is an intense experience, and once you begin the process, you cannot stop until all seven are open. Are you ready?" he asked.  
I paused momentarily, unsure. "I'll do whatever it takes."  
"First we will open the Earth chakra, located at the base of the spine. It deals with survival and is blocked by fear," Phet  
At the word fear, an image of the Blue Spirit mask, then the Blue Spirit himself, holding swords to my throat, flashed through my mind.  
"What are you most afraid of? Let your fears become clear to you," he said, his voice sounding distant to me as I concentrated.  
I saw Kole being swallowed into the ground, me raging in the avatar state, Ezra's comet, me and the Ocean spirit smashing the fleet, and Mordred. Grimacing with concentration, I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by flames, the menacing form of Mordred looming behind them.  
I recoiled. "Ahhhhh!"  
I cringed in fear from Mordred and continued to cry out in terror, and closed my eyes once more.  
"Odette, your vision is not real. You are concerned for your survival, but you must surrender those fears," Phet's voice came to me, calming me. "Let your fears flow down the creek."  
I slowly straightened and relaxed, struggling to control myself. I would have to face Mordred eventually, or else the world would fall. I accepted that and knew in my heart that if I trained hard, I would be okay. In my mind, I calmly sat within the ring of flame, facing Mordred. The flames swirled and coalesce around the Fire Lord, then both vanished. Now only I and Phet remained in the cavern.  
"You have opened your Earth chakra," Guru Phet said. Sweating, I wiped my face in relief, then smiled.  
Next he took me to a rushing waterfall. Behind the massive curtain of surging water, we sat once again.  
"Next is the…" Phet asked.  
I didn't really know so I just threw one out there. "Water chakra?"  
"Brilliant!" I exclaimed enthusiastically. "Maybe one day you will be a Guru too. This chakra deals with pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Now, look at all the guilt which burdens you so. What do you blame yourself for?"  
Once more, I closed my eyes and went into my own mind. I was leaving a note before fleeing the Northern Air Temple, a century ago.  
"I ran away," I said aloud.  
I was then in the avatar state, riding a tornado of wind. In a rage, I lashed out at the soldiers in the Earth Kingdom fortress.  
"I hurt all of those people," I said, sadly.  
Guru Phet spoke soothingly. "Accept the reality that these things happened, but do not let them cloud and poison your energy. If you are to be a positive influence on the world, you need to forgive yourself."  
Eyes closed, I drew a deep breath, then exhaled. I had done what I'd needed to do. There was no going back. If the people could forgive me, then I could forgive myself.

Alana:

The Northern Water Tribe was busily working inside their camp. They were assembling spherical devices, and loading them onto their ships.  
Dad explained to what was going on as we worked. "This bay leads directly to the outskirts of Eralith. We've been using these tangle mines to stop the fire nation ships from getting through."  
"Your father invented tangle mines himself," Cato said as he poured liquid into the cap of the spherical mine.  
I examined it, looking at the different components.  
"Destructive, buoyant, and…" I took a smell of the cap, recoiling in disgust "…terrible smelling."  
"Very perceptive. The mines are filled with skunk-fish and seaweed," Dad said proudly and affixed the plug onto the cap, and trimmed the sealant from the edges. "When a ship detonates the mine, the seaweed tangles up the propeller, and the foul smell forces people to abandon the ship. I call it the stink-n-sink."  
I laughed hysterically. "Ha ha! Good one Dad!"  
Cato rolled his eyes. "You are definitely your father's daughter."  
"Kodah, our scouts have spotted four fire nation ships," a water tribe scout said urgently, rushing up to us as the other tribesmen gathered round.  
My father jumped into action immediately. "Cato, get these mines loaded up. The rest of you men, prepare for battle!"  
The warriors rushed off as I sat and watched them leave.  
I looked up at my father, uncertain. "Uh, what should I do, Dad?"  
He looked at me sternly. "Aren't you listening? I said the rest of you get ready for battle."  
I was shocked for a moment, then rose, grinned and ran off to join the others. As I rushed off, my father watched me with a proud smile.

Ren:

I looked around at our impressive tea-shop in the upper ring of Eralith. Short stairs led up to it past a bubbling fountain. Inside the opulent building, Uncle and I stood side by side, overseeing the operation.  
"Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop. Follow your passion Ren, and life will reward you," he said, absolutely beaming.  
I was so happy for him…he deserved this place more than anyone.  
"Congratulations Uncle," I said cheerfully.  
Uncle smiled. "I'm very thankful."  
Me too. I'd heard that Odette was also living in the upper ring. I really hoped she would come by today. I needed to apologize to her and try to make up for my mistakes…I had been really mean and cruel to the poor girl. Maybe I could win her over again like I'd thought I'd done before. That was what I really wanted after all, to be with her, no matter how much I denied it.  
I shook my head and pulled myself away from my pathetic love life, returning my attention to my wonderful Uncle.  
"You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city," I said confidently.  
"No, I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me," he said and I felt my heart warm. I had been such a greedy brat lately, I really needed to make it up to him. He put a hand on my arm. "It means more than you know."  
I gave him a warm hug, to his surprise.  
"Now let's make these people some tea," I said enthusiastically.  
Uncle smiled and nodded eagerly. "Yes! Let's make some tea!"

Odette:

In the fog shrouded peaks near the Easter Air Temple, the mists were lit by a golden light as the sun rose above the mountains. The Guru and I were sitting side by side on a narrow ledge above the mists.  
"Third is the Fire chakra, located in the stomach," Phet said.  
I held my stomach as I growled hungrily. "My Fire chakra would like to eat something other than onion-banana juice."  
Guru Phet chuckled. "He he. Good one. Moving on. This chakra deals with will power and is blocked by shame. What are you ashamed of? What are your biggest disappointments in yourself?"  
Inside my mind, I was playing with firebending. My flames erupted outward, accidentally burning Kole. In the real world, my closed eyes winced at the memory.  
"I'm never going to fire bend again. I can't," I said softly.  
"You will never find balance if you deny this part of your life. You are the Avatar, and therefore, you are a fire bender," Phet said.  
I drew and released a deep breath. I was a fire bender…I may not have known how to control it yet, but I was a fire bender. Aries had just been the wrong teacher.  
"Hmm, that chakra opened less like a flowing creek, and more like a burping bison," the Guru said thoughtfully.  
I suddenly belched loudly in an oh so ladylike way. "Urrp! Tastes like onion and bananas, but strangely something else. Pickles?"  
Guru Phet shrugged.

Athera:

I hid behind one of the pillars on the tall stairs of the Earth Palace and watched silently as a pair of Dai Li silently slid down the back of the two closest pillars to front of the stairs. Naveen sat at the top of the stairs in Kyoshi disguise. Nearby, Kenna was doing toe-touches in similar garb.  
"I'm tired of wearing this girly disguise. I don't know how anyone can fight in this," Naveen sighed morosely.  
"Maybe that's why it was so easy to beat the Kyoshi Warriors and take their clothes," Kenna said as the hidden Dai Li listened intently.  
"How much longer do we have to serve the Earth King? If I have to clean up one more pile of bear poop, I'm gonna throw up," Naveen continued bitterly.  
Kenna stretched. "Princess Athera promised we would go back to the Fire Nation as soon as we captured the Avatar. We just have to be patient."  
Naveen stood, feigning anxiousness. "Shush up! Do you want the whole palace to know we're Fire Nation?"  
Kenna winced. "Sorry."  
The Dai Li retreated back up the pillars. As they departed, I walked out - in the same uniform they were in - once I was sure they were gone and approached the two of them.  
"Good work girls," I said and glanced up smugly toward the roof. "I am sure the Dai Li will deliver the message."

Odette:

The next place Phet took me to was a partially destroyed shrine high in the eastern mountains. Guru Phet and I sat facing each other on the floor of the broken building.  
"The fourth chakra is located in the heart. It deals with love, and is blocked by grief." He glanced up at the statue of an Air Nun, and grew somber. "Lay all your grief out in front of you."  
I placed my fingers over my heart, and closed my eyes in concentration. In my mindscape, I sat surrounded by a thick fog. An emerald light cast everything in a bright shade of green. Opening my eyes to this vision, I saw Athos rise from the mist, to sit across from me. He was joined by one Air Nomad after another. Eventually a vast field of them sat arrayed behind Monk Athos. I smiled at them, and one by one they were enveloped in a whirling cloud. As they disappeared, I was pulled backwards from the cloud by an invisible force. I heard Guru Phet's voice through the mists.  
"You have indeed felt a great loss. But love is a form of energy, and it swirls all around us," he said and in my vision the air nomads were now floating above the cloud and I reached out to them. The cloud enveloped me and lifted me up. "The Air Nomads love for you has not left this world. It is still inside of your heart, and is reborn in the form of new love."  
The cloud took the form of Ren's face, which was replaced by a vision of his smiling face. In the real world, tears streamed from my closed eyes. I returned fully to the real world as I wiped away the tears.  
"Let the pain flow away. Very good," he said as I cried silently.  
"Can I have some onion banana juice please?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion.  
Next we took seats at a massive stone statue. It portrayed an Air Nomad nun, sitting cross legged. We sat at the foot of the statue, dwarfed by its enormous mass.  
"The fifth in the chain is the Sound chakra, located in the throat. It deals with truth, and is blocked by lies. The ones we tell ourselves," he said.  
I sat in meditation. In my mind, I saw Kole and Alana sitting in Emrys's saddle.  
"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Kole asked.  
"Because I never wanted to be," I said aloud.  
"You cannot lie about your own nature. You must accept that you are the Avatar," Phet said.  
I drew and released a deep breath, once more closing my eyes as I accepted the fact that I was the one who had to save the world, no matter how unfair I thought it was. I had been given a gift and the power to make the world a better place.  
In my mind, I was standing on a high peak, looking out over the land. As the wind blew my clothing and my hair around my face, I gazed down with steely determination as I faced down my destiny. I returned to the real world and opened my eyes with a smile.  
Guru Phet nodded. "Very good I. You have opened the chakra of Truth."  
Next, Phet and I sat on a narrow rising stair high in the mountains, overlooking the misty peaks below. The sun had risen higher in the sky, and cast a golden glow over everything.  
"The sixth pool of energy is the Light chakra, located in the center of the forehead. It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same," Phet said.  
"Like the four nations," I realized. Ever since Kole had found me and I'd learned about the war I had never understood why everyone viewed each other so differently.  
In my mind I saw a map of the world, with the various nations represented in different colors. The map shined brightly, and all the lands were the same color. They shined once more, and returned to their separate colors, as Phet continued to speak.  
"Yes. We are all one people, but we live as if divided," he said.  
"We're all connected," I said and opened my eyes. "Everything is connected."  
Guru Phet nodded, pleased. "That's right. Even the separation of the four elements is an illusion. If you open your mind, you will see that all the elements are one. Four parts of the same whole. Even metal is just a part of Earth that has been purified and refined."

Elise:

I stood inside my metal prison as the wagon continued to bump along the road. In a calm stance, I was repeatedly striking the metal walls, sending out ripples of vibrations. Striking ahead, the vibrations revealed shimmering impurities within the walls. I smiled and breathed deeply, focusing entirely on those impurities. I stomped my foot and struck the wall with my hands once more.  
"Come on metal... Budge," I growled as I strained against the element, trying to get it to move.  
I took a deep breath and, mustering all my strength, I rammed myself against the wall. The next blow put a large dent in the wall. I stood there stunned for a moment, amazed at my achievement.  
"Whoo! Elise, you rule!" I said and started doing a double fisted strike at the wall, denting it more easily this time.

Kole:

I stopped in front of the new Jasmine Dragon Tea House, as guests streamed inside its open doors. Fang and I walked onto the tea shop lot.  
"What do you say Fang? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?" I said and stepped inside the entrance. "Table for two please."  
Just then, I heard an all too familiar voice that made my blood run cold.  
"Uncle, I need two jasmine, one green and one lychee!"  
I looked toward the sound of the familiar voice, and saw Ren in a fancy waiters uniform, speaking to his uncle Ira, who was working behind a counter.  
Oh. My. Gosh.  
Ira smiled. "I'm brewing as fast as I can!"  
I stood in shock as I recognized them both. After a moment, I turned and fled as fast as my feet could carry me down the front steps of the tea shop.

Odette:

We were now atop the tallest spire of the Easter Air Temple. The skies had darkened over the misty mountains far below the lofty, flat-topped tower. Guru Phet and I were once more seated across from each other, atop the tower. The sky above us was filled with bright stars.  
"This is the last chakra isn't it?" I asked, terrified and excited all at the same time.  
Guru Phet nodded. "Yes. Once you open this chakra, you will be able go in and out of the Avatar State at will. And when you are in the Avatar State, you will have complete control and awareness of all your actions."  
I nodded, confident. "Let's do this."  
"The Thought chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world," he said.  
In my mind, I saw Ren practicing graceful firebending moves, then leaning against a tree in an alluring pose. As Phet began to speak again, he was sitting face to face with me. Our lips moved closer, mimicking what had happened between Kole and I in the Cave of Two Lovers, only now it was Ren in his place.  
"Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river. Forgotten," Phet said.  
At these final words, I was abruptly drawn from my vision.  
"What? Why would I let go of Ren? I...I..I love him," I gasped, startled. It was the first time I had ever admitted it fully and out loud.  
Guru Phet watched me reasonably. "Learn to let her go, or you cannot let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe."  
I glared at him crossly. "Why would I choose cosmic energy over Ren? How could it be a bad thing that I feel an attachment to him? Three chakras ago, that was a good thing."  
"You must learn to let go," he said firmly.  
I lowered my eyes, torn and uncertain.

Kole:

I raced down the long halls of the Earth King's palace, message-scroll in hand. Breathless, I pulled to a stop before the Earth King's throne, where the three "Kyoshi warriors" waited, kneeling.  
"Thank goodness you are here, Tarren. Something terrible is going on. The Fire Nation has infiltrated the city. I just saw Prince Ren and his Uncle! We have to tell the Earth King right away!"  
I froze as Tarren stood and realized that instead of emerald eyes…I met a pair of golden ones.  
Athera rose to her feet, a twisted smile curling across her lips. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure to let him know."  
I stood dumbstruck as I realized who "Tarren" really was, and Fang leaped away with a frightened squeak. Kenna rushed forward with a series of acrobatic flips, striking at my shoulder as she flips behind me. In the midst of bending water from my reserve, I fell, paralyzed to the throne room floor. I lay helpless in the pool of water as the three of them gathered around me.  
"So, RenRen's in the city too. I think it's time for a family reunion…" Athera said nastily.  
Fang, observing all this from behind a tall pillar, leaped away.

Odette:

I stared hardly at Phet as a starry sky shined on above.  
I shook my head sternly. "I'm sorry, but I can't let go of Kole."  
Guru Phet sighed and looked back at me calmly. "Odette, to master the Avatar State, you must open all the chakras. Surrender yourself."  
I stared at him for a long while, warring with myself.  
"Okay, I'll try," I said eventually, reluctant.  
I focused all of my concentration on the impossible task. Inside my mind, I saw mountains beneath a starry sky. The heavens began to spin with great speed, the stars blurring streaks that disappeared behind the mountains. An image of Ren appeared, and drifted back toward the horizon to finally vanish with a twinkle of light. The heavens ceased to whirl.  
"Now, think of your attachments and let them go," Phet said.  
Another image of Kole appeared, and drifted back toward the horizon to finally vanish again with a twinkle of light. The sky ceased to spin once more.  
"Let the pure cosmic energy flow."  
Looking up into the stars, I saw an aurora of light. I was floating in space above the planet, and the aurora solidified into a radiant bridge beneath my feet. Turning from the world below, I saw a massive entity standing above snaking path. It was a spectral figure of me myself, the tattoos and eyes shining with the light of the Avatar State. I set off carefully towards it, mouth open in awe. As I neared the feet of the hovering apparition, my own tattoos began to shine with light. The towering, spectral me descended, a sphere of light shimmering between its fingers. I was enclosed within this shell, but suddenly I was distracted by a cry of distress.  
I turned and saw a vision of Ren chained to a wall, demanding to be freed. Feeling dread and anger at whoever had done this to him, I leaped from the hands of the apparition, and the sphere of light vanished. Behind me, the great entity faded from sight, as I rushed back down the path. It too began to fade rapidly, until it dropped me to plunge screaming toward the world.  
I suddenly started from my meditative trance.  
I rose in alarm, my heart hammering in my chest. "Ren is in danger! I have to go."  
I turned and raced away, sliding down the roof the tower.  
Guru Phet called after me. "No Odette! By choosing attachment, you have locked the chakra!"  
I drew to a stop.  
"If you leave now you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!"  
I paused for a moment at the edge of the roof, then leaped down. Ren was more important right now.

Elise:

After hours and hours of bending the metal, I was finally able to break fee. With a loud clang, I tore a hole into the side of the metal and threw it off to the side. The wagon pulled to a stop and I jumped down and dove into some bushes.  
Alex and Reed disembarked from the wagon and headed to the rear. They found that the back of the prison had been torn open, and was now empty. I smirked, sweat dripping down my face form the escape.  
But I wasn't done yet.  
"It's another one of her tricks!" Reed said.  
"There's a giant hole in the box. How's that a trick?" Alex snapped, incensed.  
I snuck up behind them, unable to contain my smirk. "It's not! It's the real deal!"  
Both of the men turned to see me standing in the road behind them. With a swift earthbending move, I sandwiched them between two slabs of rock. With a backwards movement, I propelled them both into the prison. Leaping toward them, I grabbed the edges of the bent metal box and bent them together again. I leaped atop the box and raised my arm high.  
"I am the greatest earthbender in the world! Don't you two dunderheads ever forget it!" I yelled triumphantly.  
I stomped angrily on the metal box, then leaped down to the road. The ground beneath me plunged downward in a wide circle, then surged me up atop a swell of earth. With the running motion of my feet, I rode this swell back up the road at tremendous speed, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Alana:

It was now nighttime at Chameleon Bay. I sheathed my machete, and picked up my war club, ready for battle. My father approached as the warriors finished loading the ships.  
"Ready to go knock some Fire Nation heads?" he asked me.  
"You don't know how much this means to me dad. I'll make you proud, and I'll finally prove to you what a great warrior I am," I said earnestly.  
He smiled at me reassuringly. "Alana, you don't have to prove anything to me." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm already proud of you, and I've always known you were a great warrior."  
"Really?"  
"Why do you think I trusted you to look after our tribe when I left?"  
I smiled and nodded my head in understanding.  
We headed off to the ships. We were climbing the ramp to embark when we heard Emrys's rumbling growl, and turned. Emrys set down at the foot of the ramp, and Odette turned to Alana with a worried expression.  
I looked back at her apprehensively. "This can't be good news."  
As soon as I heard what was happening, I knew it was time to say goodbye.  
Emrys soared away from Chameleon Bay, Odette and I atop her. Looking back, I watched my father's ships head out of the bay toward open waters. From the deck of his flagship, he looked back and smiled toward me.

Athera:

In the steel holding cells of Eralith, I was being escorted by a pair of Dai Li Agents, who hold my arms. I was brought into the cell holding Long-Fang, the King's advisor or whatever he was.  
Time for the show.  
"What is this about? Your agents show up in the middle of the night and drag me down here? You will not treat a Kyoshi Warrior this way!" I snapped in outrage, struggling against my captors.  
Long-Fang spoke in a sinister voice and rose from his bench inside his cell. "But you are not a Kyoshi Warrior, are you? Princess Athera of the Fire Nation!"  
I stopped struggling. "What do you want?"  
"I want to make a deal. It's time that I regain control of Eralith. And you have something I need."  
"Oh?" I asked.  
Long-Fang smiled darkly. "The Earth King's trust."  
I looked at him warily as he played right into my game. "Why should I help you?"  
"Because I can get you the Avatar."  
Well that was something I had not expected.  
"I'm listening," I said and both of us smiled wickedly.

Ren:

Inside the Jasmine Dragon, I was sweeping up for the evening. As Uncle cleared a table, a man entered and walked up to him.  
A messenger walked in through the door. "A message from the royal palace."  
He bowed and handed a scroll to Uncle, who read it with a look of worry. His eyes widened with astonishment.  
"I...I can't believe it," he said, overcome.  
I walked over, slightly concerned. "What is it Uncle?"  
Uncle looked to me, elated. "Great news! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!"  
Uncle ran off excitedly towards the rear of the tea house. I watched him go with a smile, then resumed sweeping.


	19. Chapter 19: The Crossroads of Destiny

Odette:

I spotted the outer wall of Eralith in the distance.  
"So, what kind of trouble is Ren in?" Alana asked bitterly.  
She wasn't happy about going back to help the guy who had tried to kill us on more than one occasion, but she was going to be there for me anyways. I was pretty sure Alana knew about my secret feelings for Ren better than I did.  
"I don't know. In my vision, I just knew he needed help," I said worriedly.  
Alana sighed. "It would be nice if your Avatar powers could be just a little more specific from time to time."  
A rumbling noise was heard and Alana pointed to the ground. "What is that?!"  
Down below, Elise was racing over the hills, leaving a large trail of dust. I brought Emrys down to her level.  
Alana smiled at her. "Need a ride?"  
"Ahhh!"  
Elise was startled by Alana and lost her concentration. The mounds she was earth skating on fell apart and Elise tumbled to the ground, hard.  
Alana and I watched painfully, wincing. "Oooo!"

Athera:

I looked around a very large, dark hallway underground. On both sides of it were enormous, ancient statues. In the middle were many Dai Li agents, all lined up in rows. I, accompanied by Naveen and Kenna in their disguises, stood on a statue's pedestal and addressed the Dai Li.  
"The Earth King and The Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li. They imprisoned your leader, Long-Fang. Soon they will turn on all of you, and eliminate you. Seizing power today is a matter of life and death."  
A Dai Li lowered his head in anxiety. I stepped down from the pedestal and came closer to the agents, loving the fear I caused.  
"The coup must be swift and decisive. The Earth King, and each of the five generals, must be taken out simultaneously. Long-Fang has placed you in me command while we overthrow the government." I walked toward a Dai Li agent with a scar on his cheek and looked him in the eyes. "If I sense any disloyalty, any hesitation, any weakness at all, I will snuff it out. That is all."  
The agent watched me nervously as I walked away. The Dai Li turned and all began walking away. I climbed back up the steps as Kenna poured me a cup of tea.  
"Nice speech, Athera. It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way," she complimented.  
Naveen nodded grimly. "Yeah, I thought you were gonna make that one guy pee his pants."  
I smirked. "There are still a few loose ends. The Avatar, and my brother and Uncle."

Ren:

Uncle and I stood in front of a carriage just outside the royal palace. Uncle was holding a white, ornate box containing his tea set. We both made our way towards the entrance excitedly.  
"Many times, I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror...instead, we are the Earth Kings personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing," he said.  
I smiled cheerfully. "It sure is Uncle."  
And hopefully destiny would bring Odette and I together soon…

Odette:

Emrys, Alana, Elise, and I all gathered around.  
"So how did it go with the Guru? Did you master the Avatar State?" she asked.  
I groaned nervously and thought back to what had happened with him.  
"If you leave now, you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!" Phet had said.  
And I had left.  
Alana shook my shoulder, grabbing my attention. "Odette, are you ok?  
I smiled sheepishly. "I'm great. It went great with the Guru. I completely mastered the Avatar State. Heh heh...heh. Yeah."  
"Okay so what's up?" Elise asked crossing her arms.  
I sighed and went for it. "Ren's in trouble."  
"Ren?! You mean angry guy?" she asked and Alana and I nodded. "Okay, and we're going back why…?"  
I sighed in frustration. "It's complicated okay. Look, Kole is somewhere within the city. You two take Emrys and find him. I'm going to use my glider and go get Ren."  
"Are you crazy!" Alana snapped. "Athera and her little minions are probably all over the place and you think you can just waltz in and -"  
I snapped my glider open. "I was expecting you guys to do the waltzing in part. I plan on improvising."  
Before she could say anything else, I shot off into the sky and raced towards Eralith.

Ren:

We came to a large, decorated house on the palace grounds, surrounded by shrubbery. Uncle and I were inside, sitting patiently at a table. Before us was a small throne set on a raised platform. Uncle poured a cup of tea as we wait for the Earth King to arrive.  
"What's taking so long?" I asked, starting to get irritated.  
Uncle sighed. "Maybe the Earth King overslept."  
Several Dai Li agents suddenly walked into the room from the right and formed a circle around the two of us.  
I frowned. "Something's not right."  
Someone I had not expected entered the room then, carrying a tied up Kole who was struggling violently.  
Athera.  
She let him go and his hit the floor as she looked at me mockingly. "It's tea time."  
I stood to my feet, anger and surprise flashing through me. "Athera!"  
"Have you met the Dai Li? They're Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so Firebender, I just love it!" she said nastily, smirking.  
Uncle took the cup he poured and stood up beside me.  
"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the "Dragon of the West"?" he asked her and I frowned.  
Athera examined her nails and spoke in a bored tone. "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.  
"It's more of a demonstration really."  
Suddenly, Kole jumped to his feet, breaking his binds and rolling away just as Uncle took a sip of his tea, looked at me, and smirked.  
Suddenly, I ducked behind Uncle just before the ex-general entered a firebending stance, opened his mouth and breathed a powerful torrent of fire at the Dai Li, like a dragon. The agents lowered their heads and lifted their gloved hands to shield themselves.  
All three of us took off running down an empty hallway inside the house. I burst through the wall with a fire blast and ran down the hall, Uncle and Kole quickly following after. Two Dai Li agents came through the hole in the wall and began firing the small, finger pieces of their rock gloves like bullets with swift thrusts of their hands. The stone bullets barely missed Kole, Uncle, and I, becoming embedded in the wall.  
Uncle shot off a bolt of lightning that broke through the wall of the second floor. Uncle and Kole jumped out, giving a small shouts as they fell on top of a hedge bush in the shape of a bear, destroying it. Uncle grunted in pain and put a hand to his head before looking up and calling to me as Kole took off.  
"Come on. You'll be fine!"  
I stopped and looked back, thoroughly irritated with my sister. "No. I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Athera!"  
I turned around and walked back towards the Dai Li and Athera. Uncle slapped his head in frustration and made his escape. I was now cornered by Athera and the Dai Li.  
My sister shook her head at me in disgust. "You're so dramatic. What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai?"  
Angry and determined, I glared at her hatefully. "Yes! I challenge you!"  
She smiled mockingly. "No thanks."  
I raised both hands, summoning a large ball of flame, leaned forward and pushed it at my sister. Athera watched calmly as two Dai Li stepped between her and the attack and raised a large, rectangular tile from the floor, blocking the fire blast. Both agents flung their stone gloves at my feet, trapping me to the floor. I stumbled and placed a hand on the floor, which was pinned down by another glove. I struggled in vain to pull myself free with no luck.  
I glared furiously up at Athera as she turned her back and walked away. Two more Dai Li agents stepped forward and shot their gloves toward me.

Kole:

I ran as fast as I could away from the scene and spotted Emrys flying towards the Earth King's palace. Inside, I found Alana and Elise in the throne room. I ran up to them and skidded to a halt.  
"Hey, what are you guys doing here? Where's Odette?" I asked, panting.  
Alana turned to me, worry all over her face. "She had a vision that Ren was in trouble and came back here to help him."  
I felt my blood boil at the sound of his name. Why in the world did she want to help him?  
"Why," I asked, unable to keep the angry tone out of my voice.  
Alana shrugged. "How should I know! Probably some weird, Avatar-hero thing."  
I sighed and rubbed my temple, trying to get my head on straight.  
"Where's Tarren, he should know what's going on," Alana asked and started to walk of.  
Athera!

Odette:

I burst into the lower levels of the palace where they apparently kept the prisoners. I checked every cell and found each of them empty. Confused, I backtracked and came out into the main hallway again, looking around frantically. I turned slightly and spotted three familiar figures walking a little ways up ahead.  
"Tarren!" I called out in relief and ran forward. I put my hand on his shoulder and turned him around.  
"I'm so glad to see-" I gasped and I stumbled back in terror as I met a pair of narrowed, golden eyes.  
"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise," Athera said, smirking.  
I stumbled backwards and before I could react, seven Dai Li surrounded me and tackled me to the floor.

Ren:

Irritated with my own stupid self, I paced around a cave lit by glowing green crystals. I couldn't believe I had let Athera get the drop on me like that. I should have been more prepared, I should have been able to face her. Whatever "change" Uncle had said I'd gone through had not been for the better. It had made me weak, vulnerable, defenseless. I should have just ripped Athera's head -  
I heard a rumbling noise and I looked up in alarm towards the steep tunnel leading outside. I expected it to be Athera, coming to finish me off - it wouldn't be unexpected. The stone blocking the entrance to the underground prison was slid away by a Dai Li agent. Another agent appeared holding the last person I ever expected to see again.  
The Dai Li Agent sneered at me. "You've got company."  
The agent half threw half pushed Odette forward and she tumbled to the bottom near me.  
"Odette!" I gaped, surprised. It was probably the first time she had ever actually heard me say her name.  
Her expression quickly turned from amazement and relief to loathing. She got to her knees and stared back at me as the Dai Li sealed the entrance.

Kole:

Hoping to find Odette back at the house, we went there first. The wall that Elise had destroyed was being reconstructed. Emrys landed in front of the house and Alana, Elise, and I ran inside. Upon entry, Fang greeted us by chattering excitedly and weaving around our legs.  
"Fang!" I said and knelt down to pet him. Odette was nowhere to be seen  
Elise tapped her foot, feeling for vibrations. "There's no one else here."  
"Odette is in trouble! I knew it!" I snarled, enraged.  
Alana put her head in her hands guiltily. "Oh no."  
Elise stiffened. "Wait, someone's at the door."  
She pointed back at the door. A moment later, someone knocked on it.  
"Actually, I know who it is. It's an old friend of mine," she said and walked to the door and slid it open to reveal Ira. "Glad to see you're okay."  
Ira looked at her sadly. "I need your help."  
Alana and I jumped back in surprise. "Huh uh!"  
We went into a state of panic and shock at the sight of our old enemy. Elise smiled and gave Uncle a friendly wave of the hand.  
"You guys know each other!" I gaped at them, shocked as I stabbed a finger at Ira.  
Elise shrugged. "I met him in the woods once and knocked him down. Then he gave me tea and very good advice."  
"May I come in?" he asked and Elise nodded to him and he entered the room. "Princess Athera is here in Eralith."  
"She must have Odette," I said, gritting my teeth.  
Ira nodded grimly. "She has captured my nephew as well."  
Good. But, as much as it killed me to say it, I needed him if I was going to get Odette back.  
"Then we'll work together to fight Athera, and save Odette and Ren," I said, grudging.  
Alana stared at me in shock. "Whoah there. You lost me at, 'Ren'."  
"I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him," Ira said, placing his hands on Alana's shoulders in a pleading way.  
"Good inside of him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?" Alana removed Ira's hands and shoved him away.  
I turned to her. "Odette is in trouble. All of Eralith is in trouble. Working together is our best chance."  
Alana closed her eyes and nodded grudgingly. I smiled slightly at Alana's resolve.  
"I brought someone along who might be able to help us," Ira said.  
He headed back outside and we followed. A bound and gagged Dai Li agent was sitting on the porch. Elise lifted him up by earthbending two stone slabs on either side of him. Ira pulled down the cloth over his face.  
"Athera and Long-Fang are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King," he said, shaking in terror.  
Alana raised her hand at him angrily, preparing to strike. "My friend! Where are they keeping Odette?"  
She pointed her machete at the Dai Li agent.  
"In the crystal catacombs of old Eralith, deep beneath the palace," he whimpered.  
Ira, Elise, Alana, and I quickly departed for the palace.

Long-Fang:

I sat, meditating in my metal prison cell, my eyes closed, while conversing with a Dai Li agent outside.  
"The movements of all the generals and the Earth King have been plotted out step by step," he said.  
"Good. And the Fire Nation Princess is cooperating?"  
"Oh yes! More than cooperating, she's really taken charge. She's terrifying and inspirational all at the same time. It's hard to explain," he said, his gaze dreamy yet terrified.  
Humph. I had never been able to get that kind of reaction out of the buffoons before.  
The agent left and I stared after him, suspicious.

Odette:

I stared at Ren as we sat in the crystal cave, pacing behind him.  
I was so delighted to see him, so happy and relived. I felt like I could breath again…like I had been submerged under water for too long. His presence lifted a great weight off my shoulders and I felt the pull that I always felt towards him solidify and become stronger in the small distance between us. I had fully admitted it to myself now and even to Phet…I loved him, more than anything, despite his flaws and anger issues. I was probably stupid for feeling it, but I felt it nonetheless.  
On the other hand, I was ticked off. I could see that something had changed within him, the way he looked at me was different, warmer. But seeing him again brought everything that he had done to me and my friends rushing back to the surface. I was angry for no apparent reason at all, and I really didn't want to be.  
"Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait. Let me guess. It's a trap. So you can finally have me in your little Fire Nation clutches," I snapped accusingly.  
I shaped my hands into claws as Ren turned to look at me for a second before turning back and saying nothing.  
I glared at him. "You're a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting me, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."  
Okay that was too much and I bit my tongue regrettably.  
Ren spun, hurt by my words. "You don't know what you're talking about."  
I knew I was being irrational but I was growing angrier. "I don't?! How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally." I turned my back to Ren and crouched down. "The Fire Nation took my people away from me."  
I placed a hand over my heart as tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped off my chin. Ren turned his head further and looked sadly at me. I began sobbing, holding my head to my chest and burying my head in my knees. I wasn't really upset about my people…I was upset that he still didn't seem to feel the way I felt about him.  
"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common," he said softly.  
He made a full turn towards me and I stopped crying for a moment. I wiped a tear from my face and looked at Ren, genuinely surprised.

Kole:

Elise placed her hand on the ground, frowning in concentration. After a moment she stood and turned back to Ira, Alana, and I, a shocked look on her face.  
"Well whaddya know. There is an ancient city down there, but it's deep," she said seriously.  
Our entire group - animals included- was standing just outside the palace walls. Elise waved her fists outward, earthbending a small crater in the ground.  
Alana turned to look at me. "We should split up. Kole, you go with Ira to look for Odette and the angry jerk...no offense."  
Ira shrugged. "None taken."  
He was such a sweet old man…how in the world could he be related to Ren.?  
Alana continued. "And I'll go with Elise to warn the Earth King about Athera's coup."  
Fang jumped over to Alana and they quickly departed.  
Son enough, between his firebending and my waterbending, Ira and I were deep underground. I was tunneling down using my waterbending and Ira was lighting the way with a flame cupped in his hand. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two of us until I decided to break the ice.  
"So, Elise thinks you give pretty good advice. And great tea," I said.  
Ira smiled. "The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind?"  
I paused for a second to deepen the tunnel with an earthbending movement before continuing.  
"Well, I met this girl and-"  
"She doesn't return the favor?"  
We stopped again and I pushed back the earth with a wave of my arms.  
"Yeah. Actually, my sister seems to think she's fallen for someone else. Someone you happen to be related to," I said awkwardly, cutting a sly glance at him out of the corner of my eye.  
He started and stumbled in surprise and looked at me in shock. "My nephew! Well that's…just wonderful. The Avatar would be just perfect for-"  
He noticed my dirty look and smiled gently. "I don't know the answer. Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving…"  
We came to one last wall of rocks. I pushed both arms forward, waterbending the rocks out of the way with a burst of water. A green light shined through.  
Ira smiled as the flame in his hand extinguished and the green light washed over him. We walked forward and entered the crystal catacombs.  
"You will come to a better place," he finished.  
The catacombs were full of glowing green crystals, stalagmites and stalactites. In the back of the area was a waterfall pouring into a channel forming two rectangles around several thick, jagged columns.  
It was absolutely beautiful.

Alana:

In the palace, Elise, Fang, and I were climbing the steep steps towards the entrance.  
"There's General Wulfric!" I said, looking ahead.  
I noticed the Dai Li agents clinging to the columns supporting the roof, lying in wait as General Wulfric walked closer. I grabbed Elise and we hid behind one of the columns. As General Wulfric drew closer, one of the other agents dropped down and slung a shackle at him, attacking to his wrist. Another agent shackled his other wrist. The general growled as they pulled the chains, immobilizing his arms. One more Dai Li agent dropped in front of General Wulfric.  
"Arghh! What's going on here?!" he growled furiously.  
The Dai Li agent looked down in amusement. "You're under house arrest."  
I witnessed General Wulfric's capture from behind the pillar. Fang was clinging to Elise's shirt.  
"The coup is happening right now! We've got to warn the Earth King!" I said.  
I grabbed Elise and we ran towards the throne room. Once we got there, we found that the Earth King was sitting in his throne with Bosco by his side. Naveen and Kenna were there with him, still in their disguises.  
I skidded to a halt. "Thank goodness we're in time!"  
"In time for what?" The King asked, confused.  
"Yeah, what are you in time for…" Kenna asked and somersaulted forward and landed in front of me, putting her face close to mine.  
I sweated, trying to make sure she didn't know that I knew who she was. "Uh, where's Tarren?"  
"Who?" she asked innocently, her grey eyes and sweet face bright.  
Elise suddenly earthbended a rock underneath Kenna. She gave a small shout as she was hurled into the air. Kenna flipped backward and landed on top of the badger mole statue in the back of the room.  
"They're not the real Kyoshi Warriors!" Elise yelled an I slapped my forehead. She just figured that out?  
The Earth King gasped in shock as Naveen made her appearance.  
"Sorry to disappoint you."  
Naveen flung three double bladed daggers at Elise who earthbended a slab of rock in front of her and blocked the projectiles. She then kicked the slab, sending it flying at Naveen, who jumped over it. A moment after she landed, Elise used her earthbending to pop a stone up from underneath Naveen, knocking her away. Elise grinned victoriously.  
I hung back and watched the fight. Kenna snuck up next to me, giggling and with a big, happy grin on her face. I was startled and stepped back. Kenna proceeded to try to attack my pressure points in order to disable me but I was too quick. Every time Kenna tried to hit a joint or spot on my body, I ducked, leaned, and shifted out of the way, often ending up in an awkward position.  
Kenna smiled at me. "Ooo, it's like we're dancing together."  
Umm…okay?

Athera:

I stood behind the Earth King and held him by the shoulder. The frightened king stared at the blue flame I held close to his head as Kenna and Naveen continued attacking the Avatar's peasant friends.  
"This fight... is over," I said sharply, my voice echoing throughout the hall with a pleasant ring.  
Alana and Elise raised their hands in surrender. Kenna jumped between them and disabled them both with a series of strikes. Their little wolf ran and tried to escape, but a Dai Li agent that had entered the throne room with me threw his stone gloves at him. They wrapped around the wolf, and Kenna watched as he fell next to her. I roughly shoved the Earth King away.  
"Get them all out of my sight," I growled.  
Naveen and Kenna drug Elise out of the room, while a Dai Li agent dragged Alana out by the arm and another agent lead the Earth King, who had Bosco on a leash. The bear moaned sadly.  
Everything was coming together beautifully.  
I smiled evilly before focuses on Long-Fang who had just entered the throne room, followed by a troop of the Dai Li, all lined in rows. They all stand before me.  
"Now comes the part where I double-cross you. Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation Princess." The Dai Li did not respond, as I had anticipated. Long-Fang turned to them, frowning, and pointed at me.  
"I said, arrest her." He looked back and forth at the agents and lost his patience. "What is wrong with you?!"  
I smirked widely. "It's because they haven't made up their minds. They're waiting to see how this is going to end."  
Long-Fang looked back up at me, startled. "What are you talking about?"  
"I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing. So you had to struggle and connive and claw your way to power. But true power...the divine right to rule...is something you're born with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne and which one is going to be bowing down. But I know. And you know." Long-Fang began to sweat wt my words. His face was full of hesitation and uncertainty. I sat on the Earth King's throne and crossed my legs. "Well?"  
Long-Fang was now truly frightened, as he should be. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as his mouth  
hung open, speechless. I stared at him coldly and intently. Long-Fang finally closed his eyes and dropped his head, realizing that he had lost. He stepped forward and bowed before me.  
"You've beaten me at my own game," he said dejectedly.  
"Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player."

Ren:

I stood up and went over to her. I needed to be with her, it was as simple as that. I had fallen in love with my worst enemy, and all I could do was hope she loved me in return. She saw me walking towards her and she jumped up, her beautiful face alarmed as she stumbled away.  
A strange and peculiar desire pulsed through me—I had never felt this way before. That seemed strange—I could almost SWEAR I had, (what sort of Prince would I be if I hadn't?) but no memory of any sort came to mind.  
So I ran after her.  
'You're being stupid,' my conscience berated me. 'You are a Prince. You can have any girl in the world at the your fingertips in seconds, why bother chasing after this nobody Avatar peasant?'  
Yet still I ran—my conscience kept throwing logical, reasonable explanations as for why I should not have been chasing her—'Think of your people! Think of your father! He has already banished you once. If he knew what sort of thoughts are running through your head about the Avatar he would not think twice about never letting you return home! It is your DUTY as a Prince to put the Fire Nation before yourself in all accounts…'  
Yes, my head was filled with logic and reason, but it was my heart that was able to throw all of it out the window with one whisper, a single solitary name—Odette—and the heart knew how to speak louder than the mind ever could.  
"Wait!" I called after her, stopping a few feet behind her; my voice becoming hoarse and thick. She paused, turning to look at me, shocked to see that I had followed her. "Why did you run? Why did you—"  
'I just want to know one thing—you could have any woman in the world, and yet still you chase after the Avatar—why?'  
I found I couldn't answer myself at first, not yet - I was tired, sweaty, and the voices in my head could learn to wait their turn, there was someone more important to occupy my thoughts now. A pair of wonderfully pale grey, teary eyes were staring back at me, a swallowed, small body so near my own, and I found my answer inside those eyes.  
Odette looked down shamefully.  
"I'm sorry I yelled at you before," she said softly.  
She was apologizing to me? For what!  
I sighed and shook my head, seeing the pain I'd inflected in her eyes. "It doesn't matter."  
Nothing mattered anymore. I loved the girl…but she would never love me back - she hated me. I had been a fool, as usual.  
"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face…" she said, wincing, looking at me sadly.  
"My face. I see." I winced and turned away and placed a hand to my scar. She must think of me as a monster, a freak.  
Odette pulled me back regretfully. "No, no, that's not what I meant."  
"It's ok. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark," I said.  
Odette paused, smiling at me. "Maybe you could be free of it."  
A glimmer of hope flashed through me as I turned back to Odette.  
"What?"  
She smiled again. "I have healing abilities."  
I sighed, grateful but sad. "It's a scar. It can't be healed."  
Odette reached under her shirt and held up a little vial of water.  
"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I have be saving it for something important." She walked up to me and faced me. "I don't know if it would work, but…"  
I stared at her longingly for a moment before closing my eyes and silently accepted Odette's offer. She placed her warm, soft hand on my scar and examined it. I opened my eyes again and saw to my surprise that the looked I gave her was returned. Her expression was sad, hopeful, scared, and most amazingly full of longing and love.  
She loved me back. It was the most amazing feeling I had ever felt before in my life.  
"Odette, I-"  
Before I could anything else, Kole burst into the tunnel with my Uncle. By his side.  
"Odette!" he gasped, looking around frantically.  
He stared at Odette and I, confused by how close we were, before she ran up to him and they embraced in a warm hug. Kole glared at me hatefully while still holding her and I felt jealousy lick through me. The place where she had touched my cheek felt like it was on fire…like she had burned me.  
Uncle ran up to me and hugged me around the shoulders. I glared back at Kole, ignoring him.  
Odette placed her hands on Kole's shoulders and gave him another hug.  
"Kole, I knew you would come," she said.  
I winced, the jealousy killing me slowly as I watched them. How could she have looked at me like the way she had…and then just gone to him like he was the one person she wanted to see in the world more than anything.  
Suddenly, I was angrier than I had been in months. Angry at her, angry at Kole, angry at my Uncle…and mostly angry at my own stupid self. This is what you get when you put yourself out there.  
"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the him!" I growled, upset as I pointed a finger at Kole.  
"Saving you, that's what," he snapped back.  
I snarled at him and tried to lunge but Uncle grabbed me, preventing me from causing a fight.  
"Ren, it's time we talked," he said and turned to Odette and Kole. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."  
Odette looked at me sadly, her eyes filling with emotion. I could tell she wanted to come back to me, to rewind time just as much as I did. But she couldn't…it would raise to many questions, people would think she had gone insane. She stayed away from me for the same exact reasons why I stayed away from her.  
Kole clasped his hands and bowed respectfully to Uncle before grabbing Odette's hand and running back through the hole in the cave. Odette slowly followed after him and turned her head and took one last sad glimpse at my sullen form before exiting.  
She was gone. Again.  
I turned my head away from Uncle.  
"Why Uncle?" I asked, hurt.  
"You are not the man you used to be, Ren. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!" he said.  
I didn't have to hear him say it but I knew he also meant it was time for me to face my feelings and choose Odette.  
I shut my eyes, absorbing my uncle's words. Before I could process this wisdom, I was startled by a violent quake. A trail of crystals shot out of the ground until they reached Uncle, trapping him. I readied myself for an attack.  
Athera and two Dai Li agents slid down from the tunnel I had entered through. Athera advanced towards me until I was directly between my uncle and her.  
"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Ren, Prince Ren...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" she asked.  
No. Never…  
I glared at my sister. "Release him immediately!"  
Athera smirked at me. "It's not too late for you I. You can still redeem yourself."  
What? I could go home? Have my honor, my throne? I could be free again?  
Uncle spoke behind me insistently. "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you."  
"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you Ren. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want."  
Everything I wanted…  
"Ren, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want," Uncle shouted desperately.  
I looked back at Uncle. I was unsure of whom to listen to. Athera was offering me everything that I had strived for for over two years now. Uncle was trying to get me to think about what I really wanted. I was afraid and I wanted to be accepted. I wanted my country on my side, I wanted my father to look at me and be proud. If I walked toward Uncle, I would be further shamed, further hated by the public.  
I wanted my Uncle to not be angry with me and if I chose to fight the Avatar like my country would want me to do, I would be betraying him. He had always been there for me, and me walking towards Athera would just be a knife in his back. I also wanted Odette to not hate me.  
I could have one or the other…but not both.  
I shut my eyes and hung my head, trying to come to a decision.

"You are free to choose," Athera said calmly and waved a hand to the Dai Li agents, signaling them to leave. Both earthbended a stone cube under their feet and slid back up the ramp. Athera departed through the tunnel Odette and Kole had gone through.  
I was now walking the line between good and evil, and was faced with the choice to either go back to my old lifestyle, or to leave it all behind and embrace a new lifestyle with my mentor and father figure, Uncle.  
My mind was in absolute turmoil over what actions I should make in my critical moment.

Kole:

Odette and I ran through the main part of the catacombs where the waterfall was.  
"We've got to find Alana and Elise," I said.  
A stream of blue fire suddenly rocketed towards Odette and I from behind. Odette quickly turned around and earthbended a wall of stone to protect us. The fire hit the wall with great force, knocking Odette back a few feet.  
I look up at Athera, her fingertips still smoking from the attack. I ran around the smoldering wall and bended the water in the channel. I charged at Athera and brought the water crashing down on her. Athera deflected the attack with a short blast of fire. I kept my momentum and spun the water around me, smashing it into the floor and creating a large wave. Athera stomped the ground and flung her hands out, making a wall of fire that evaporated the wave coming at her. The resulting steam hid Athera from view. Odette and I looked left and right, preparing for a sneak attack.  
A moment later, Athera jumped out of the steam from one of the larger crystals high above. She attacked with two blue fire balls which Odette and I extinguished by bending the water from the channel into a shield. Athera landed on a piece of rock jutting out from one of the large columns.  
Odette shot her fists forward and brought her palms down, sending a shockwave through the ground and into the column, destroying it. Athera gasped and dropped down between Odette and I, pointing her fingers at both of us. Athera looked back and forth between the two of us nervously, waiting for our next move.  
Suddenly, a blast of red fire landed between Odette and Athera. They shielded themselves from it and turned towards the new opponent.  
Ren.  
He was wearing a simple brown shirt and brown pants, having shed his outer robes. Ren drew closer to them, poised in his firebending stance. He looked to Athera, who gazed back at him harshly. Ren then looked to Odette who was looking at him with shocked and hurt eyes. Something flashed across his face for a fleeting moment…regret?.  
But it was gone in an instant and Odette gasped just before Ren punched forward, shooting a fire ball at her. Odette reacted just in time and protected herself by airbending a spiral of wind around her body. She jumped back to gain distance as the flame was dispersed. Athera smiled at her brother's decision and attacked me, waving her arm in an arc and throwing a jet of fire at me with an underhand toss. I bended the water from my flask and extinguished the fire. Ren furiously sent fireballs at Odette with a series of punches.

Alana:

I looked through the small, barred window of a metallic holding cell. Me, Elise, the Earth King and Fang were in the same prison that Long-Fang had been put in. My eyes shifted from side to side, on the look out.  
"See any Dai Li agents near by?" Elise whispered.  
I shook my head. "Nope. All clear."  
I wasn't sure what she thought she was going to do, maybe tunnel us out? I mean, it wasn't like she could bend metal or -  
Elise cracked her knuckles and walked to the door, placing both hands on the metal surface. With a screech, the metal door collapsed inward, dents forming all over it. The door burst forward, bouncing off the walls several times. Elise ran out, followed by Fang.  
Well how bout that?  
I grabbed the Earth King by the hand and we made our escape.  
"Let's go!" I said, tugging the Earth King along.  
"I'm not leaving without Bosco!" he shouted back and I groaned

Odette:

Ren assaulted me with a rapid barrage of fire balls. I quickly ran around in a circle at high speed, creating a whirlwind that blocked the attacks. With my momentum built up, I came to a halt and threw my chest out, sending forth a gust of air in the shape of my body. Ren gasped just as the gust hit him, blowing him back several feet and knocking him to the ground.  
Good.  
I was so furious with him I was seeing red. I'd thought he had changed, that he had felt the same way that I did about him. Clearly he had played me like a fiddle.  
I leaped forward and attempted to attack Ren with a blast of wind, but he rolled out of the way and countered with a blast of fire to my legs. I jumped high into the air and landed on a column. Ren sprang to his feet and shot more fireballs in my direction. I hopped out of the way and landed on the tip of a large, pointy crystal sticking out of the stone wall high above. Ren lowered his stance and coiled his lean and muscular body, gathering energy, and launched a mighty blast of fire at me.  
I lifted my arms, earthbending the crystals below me to rise up and block the attack. The fire blast was too strong and exploded on contact, shattering the crystals and I was blown back. Ren pulled back his still flaming fist and brought both fists down to his sides, creating two large, thick flames. Waving his arms, he turned the flames into long, searing whips of fire.  
I recovered and readied myself for this new attack, crouching on top of a cluster of crystals. Ren swung both whips at me and I jumped away as the fire whips sliced through the crystals. I landed at the top of a cliff, but had no time to relax as Ren followed up the attack. I jumped over the burning whips and onto a nearby column. Ren slung the fire around and continued his relentless attack.  
Athera landed feet first on the floor, a puddle of water beneath her. She and Kole ran towards each other. Kole stopped and bended the puddle, lifting it up with one arm and thrusting it at Athera with the other. Athera watched the water pass just inches by her face and cut a few hairs from her bangs.  
I turned back to Ren, who was now spinning his fire whips over his head. He swung the burning tendrils at me as I clung to a stalactite.  
I jumped away to another stalactite and the fire whips cut through the one I was just on. I pushed off the stalactite with my legs and kicked another one, causing its tip to break and fall off. I grabbed the upper part still attached to the ceiling, swung down under it and kicked off, hurling myself down. I turned myself right side up and slammed my fists down into the falling stalactite, plunging it downward. The stone hit the floor, kicking up dust and creating a crater. Ren was blown back by the shock wave and his body hit a crystal cluster.  
While Ren was dazed, I looked to Athera and Kole across the channel of water. Kole bended up a puddle on the ground and lobbed it at Athera, knocking her to her knees. As Athera started to get back to her feet, Kole bended the water all around her body. He created two long tentacles of water where his arms were and lifted them high into the air. Athera leaned forward and thrust out her fists, releasing a blast of fire, but it was quickly extinguished as one of the water tentacles wrapped around Athera's outstretched arm. Kole controlled the water, swirling it around with his hand, and swung the other water tentacle down at Athera. Athera tried to counter with a straight thrust kick, but the blue flame shot out was also extinguished and the tentacle wrapped around her leg. Kole raised his arms and Athera was lifted into the air, shouting in fright. Just when it seemed Athera was finally finished, Ren performed a leaping overhead kick, punching downward to gather energy before hopping into the air and bringing his leg up, creating a large arc of flame. Ren landed and brought his foot down, hurling the flame forward. The arc of fire passed over the channel and sliced through the water tentacles, freeing Athera. Athera smiled at her brother before turning her attention to Kole again.  
I crawled out of the crater, still dizzied by my last attack. Athera set her eyes on Kole and lunged after him.  
Ren spotted me and threw two lances of fire at me which I extinguished with my own water tentacles.  
"I thought you had changed!" I yelled.  
I swung my water down at Ren. Ren's tendrils of fire and my tentacles of water clashed together over the channel, both equal in strength.  
Ren glared at me. "I have changed."  
He brought his hand up and chopped horizontally, sending out another blast of fire. We continued to fight viciously for a few more moments before Kole suddenly appeared and attacked Ren, distracting him from me. I spun and faced the other sibling before she could attack.  
Athera and I now faced off. She smiled confidently while I looked back, determined to win. Athera brought her hands up and pushed them back while stepping forward, creating two large burning balls of blue fire. She shifted her feet and jetted off fire shoot from her soles, the small explosions causing her to rocket forward. I raised my arms and earthbended the crystals around me, covering my body with them and creating suit of glistening green armor. I put both arms forward and slid over the ground, coming at Athera head on. We rocketed toward each other and were about to collide until Athera hopped and slid her foot forward, flinging all of the built up fire at me. I crossed my arms and tried to defend myself, but the powerful attack shattered the crystal armor and sent me crashing into a wall on a cliff up above.

Alana:

We entered the Earth King's throne room quietly to see Naveen and Kenna were there with Bosco. The Fire Nation girls had changed into clothes similar to Athera's. Naveen was sitting on the steps that led up to the throne and Kenna was playing with Bosco.  
"Come on, it's easy. You just walk on your front paws instead of your rear ones. Like this," she said.  
Kenna did a hand stand and began walking forward on her palms. Suddenly, the floor beneath her surrounded her arms, catching her by surprise. She fell forward and the stone wrapped around her feet as well, leaving her bent backward with her belly sticking up. Bosco growled and clapped his paws happily at Kenna's awkward position.  
Elise, the Earth King, and I stood in front of the large doorway smugly.  
"That is a nice trick," Elise said, smirking.  
I pulls out my boomerang and Elise stomped the ground, lifting a large stone block. Naveen lethargically waved a hand at them.  
"Just take the bear," she said apathetically.  
The Earth King ran up to Bosco and hugged him around the head. "Bosco!"  
Bosco growled happily as the Earth King buried his face into the bear's fur and snuggled him.

Ren:

I knew my choice was been wrong on so many levels. I'd hurt Odette - and it seriously killed me to see her look at me with such anger and hurt - and worst of all I'd also managed to hurt my uncle, the one person who had never left my side. But it didn't matter now, I had made my choice and there was no turning back. I jut couldn't face the humiliation any longer. I wanted to go home.  
I chopped downward, flinging one of my fiery whips at Kole, who deflected it with his water tentacle. As Kole counter attacked, Athera leaped from the top of a crystal cluster and shot a blast of fire down at him. Kole deflected the attack and another blast of fire from me by bending his water into a wall. I swung an arc of fire and Athera shot a blue fire ball. The fire ball made a direct hit and Kole was blown back, colliding with a cluster of crystals. He fell to the ground, unconscious.  
Athera and I turned our heads towards a rumbling noise. Odette launched dozens of feet into the air, kicking up and enormous dust cloud. Odette slammed her slender body into the floor, cracking the stone ground, and a moment later came charging at us by riding on a rolling mound of rock. Athera and I readied ourselves for the attack.  
Odette was furious and determined, but just as she got close, a Dai Li agent jumped in front of her and lifted his arms, destroying the mound with his earthbending and sending Odette to the floor. Odette wearily picked herself up and looked around. Many Dai Li agents jumped down from the cliffs above, forming long rows behind Athera and I. Kole gained consciousness just as the Dai Li surround him. He bended the water from the channel and formed a ring of water around him. The water sprouted eight tentacles as he enters a fighting stance. Odette entered her fighting stance again and prepared to face her many opponents. She then looked to Kole, who was desperately fighting off the Dai Li agents.  
"There's too many," she said to herself.  
Odette looked to me and I frowned curiously. Even though she looked like she was lost in memory, it also looked like her heart was breaking. "The only way, is to let him go."  
She looked at me for a moment more, a tear streaming from the corner of her eye. "I 'm sorry Ren."  
Odette turned around and earthbended several crystals out of the ground to form a tent over her. After a few moments of silence, the crystals that surround her began to illuminate with an intense light. The Dai Li and I were frightened but also enchanted by this light. An incredible explosion of spiritual power destroyed the crystals and the Dai Li agents shielded themselves from the blast.  
Odette rose from the ground in a bright pillar of cosmic light, her dark hair swirling around her stunning face, her eyes and tattoo's glowing with an intense incandescent blue light. Kole looked up at her, hope returning to him. Odette levitated in the air, until suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck her body.  
NO! I mentally screamed in horror, my eyes flying wide as I watched Odette writhing in pain. I gasped, feeling like my own heart was being electrocuted along with hers.  
I spun and saw Athera smiling confidently as smoke rose from her extended fingers. I was filled in an intense, blinding rage and I almost attacked her but I held myself back, knowing that move would get me killed as well.  
Odette's body plummeted to the ground. Her clothes were charred, and there was a terrible wound on her back where she was struck, as well as a burnt spot on the sole of her foot where the lightning exited. Kole stared shocked and horrified, tears rolling down his face. He turned his body and swirled the water around him. Kole created a large wave and rode on top of it towards Odette, arms spread behind him. The wave rolled over me and the Dai Li, washing us away. Kole caught Odette and landed on the ground, the water flowing away from him.  
He held Odette's unconscious body and looked up hopelessly. I became robotic and numb, my heart feeling like it had just been ripped from my chest.  
Odette was dead.  
Athera and I began advancing on Kole and the fallen Odette when a fire blast hit the ground between in front of us. Uncle jumped down from a cliff and landed between Kole and my sister and I, entering his battle stance.  
No not him too! I couldn't lose him!  
Uncle looked back at Kole slightly. "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"  
Uncle punched left and right, shooting fire blasts at any potential attackers, as Kole made his escape with Odette. He lowered his stance and defended against the stone gloves the Dai Li agents throw at him. Uncle waved both hands forward and flung powerful blast of fire from his fingertips. Kole went to the waterfall and bended the water. He formed a rising and twisting current that lifted him and Odette upward.  
Uncle ceased his attack and quietly surrendered once they were out of danger. Two Dai Li agents bended a ring of crystals around Uncle and trapped him. I stared blankly at my uncle, shocked by everything that had happened. Uncle stared back at me for a moment and turned his head down sadly, saying nothing.

Kole:

The Earth King, Bosco, Alana, Elise, Fang, Odette, and I all rode on Emrys through the sky. It had reached nightfall and the sky was dark. I laid Odette down on Emrys's shoulders and took out the oasis water she had been given. I removed the top of the container and bended the small amount of water out of it. I held it over my palm and made it spin in a small circle until it began to glow with energy.  
The others watched as I lifted Odette and placed the water over the wound on her back. It lowered into the wound and entered Odette's body. I held Odette close and began crying, my heart wrenching.  
For an instant, Odette's arrow glowed, and a second later she groaned from the recovery. I gasped and smiled joyfully, turning Odette around to look at me. Odette smiled as she looked back at me. I pulled Odette to me and held her close, grateful that she was still alive.

Ren:

The Earth King's throne room, Athera sat in the throne while I stood next to her.  
"We've done it Ren. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Eralith," she said, smug as ever.  
I looked down regretfully, hating myself for what I had done. "I betrayed Uncle."  
Athera sat up slight and looked at me calmly. "No, he betrayed you. Ren, when you return home, father will welcome you as a war hero."  
"But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?" I questioned, worried.  
Athera stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder as I looked at her sadly.  
"He doesn't need to Ren. Today, you restored your own honor," she said sincerely, something that sounded unnatural coming from her.  
I turned away from Athera and looked down pensively.

Kole:

I looked sadly at Eralith as Emrys flew away from the city. The Earth King looked on sadly as he left his home.

"The Earth Kingdom... has fallen," he said hopelessly.

I held a sleeping Odette next to me, cradling her gently, as I looked onward as Emrys flew over the outer wall and into the dark, cloudy horizon.

_**(Hye guys hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it =) The 3rd and final book is up and ready to read! =D Avatar: The Last Airbender (Book Three Fire)**_


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